


Nobody But You

by ashtonmalik



Series: It Will Always Be You [1]
Category: One Direction (Band), Zayn Malik (Musician)
Genre: Bottom Zayn, F/M, Gen, M/M, Post-Zayn One Direction, Zayn Leaves One Direction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-01
Updated: 2016-07-05
Packaged: 2018-07-11 16:10:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 24
Words: 31,934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7059847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ashtonmalik/pseuds/ashtonmalik
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zayn left Gigi for Liam when he realized he had stronger feelings for the former band mate. Zayn accidentally befriends his ex-girlfriends new boyfriend, and realizes why the model is so smitten with him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I have now uploaded this to Wattpad, with a different title.   
> https://www.wattpad.com/story/114407385-violence-and-desire
> 
> Thanks for reading!

His breathing was heavy, almost staggering. His eyes rolled back before his lids closed shut, his head thrown back as his body gave up, his weight becoming too much, the pleasure unparalleled to anything he had ever experienced before. He heard the other man groan again, letting him know he was pleased. He kept his eyes shut, a smile forming from his wet lips. The other man smiled down to him, planting a kiss on his cheek before throwing himself beside him on the bed, letting out a huge sigh.

“Zayn”, the other man said.

Zayn opened his eyes, looking over at the naked man beside him. His hair was disheveled, his eyes glossy. “Yes, Parker?

He let out a laugh before answering him, his eyes darting toward the ceiling. “If someone told me, a year ago, that I’d be here under these circumstances with you, I’d laugh”.

Zayn giggled, turning onto his side to face Parker, who continued to look at the ceiling. _What a fucking handsome bloke_ , he thought as he smiled. “Same goes for you”.

Parker sighed, putting his hands behind his head, smiling upward. “What’ll Liam think?”

“Shit, what’ll Gigi think?” Zayn laughed, reaching his hand over to rub the man’s chest.

Parker’s eyes widened. “She’s probably going to kill us both”.

Zayn tapped his fingers in a cadence on Parker’s chest, his eyes glued to his tan skin, analyzing the goosebumps that arose every time the tip of his finger met his body. “She doesn’t have to know”.

Parker sighed. He wasn’t that kind. Well, looks like he was now. “We’ll figure it out later”. He moved himself closer to Zayn, snaking an arm around the man’s waist before pulling him on top of him. Zayn let out a small laugh as he found himself sitting on top of Parker, who ran a hand up and town Zayn’s abdomen.

“I can be like this forever”, the Brit told him, looking down, his eyes smiling for his lips to match. He placed his hands on either of Parker’s pecks, admiring the muscle.

Parker smiled at the man, sitting up, pulling Zayn closer to him. “It could work”.

Zayn shook his head. “Not here”.

“What’s wrong with my apartment?” Parker asked jokingly.

“Shut up, mate. It’s not the apartment”. Zayn sighed, looking somewhat serious. “I’d get shit from the media. You could lose your job. It just won’t work”.

“Media? Your fans won’t give a shit. Some of them would love this, actually. And if you’ve forgotten, Mr. Malik, I run my own agency. I may lose some clients, yeah. But not all of them”. Parker smiled, caressing the other man’s cheek.

Zayn planted a soft kiss on Parker’s lips. “How can you be so calm?”

Parker shrugged and laughed. “Cause I stopped caring about what people think of me a long time ago”.

“We’ll see how you feel when you see Gigi again, yeah?” Zayn said, somewhat serious, before climbing off of Parker and off the bed.

“What does that mean?”

Zayn found his boxers and slipped them on, looking for his box of cigarettes and his lighter. “You love her”.

Parker looked down at his hands, then back to Zayn. “And you love Liam”.

Zayn laughed, lighting the cigarette that was now in his mouth. “I’ll leave Liam for you. I don’t give a fuck. But you won’t leave Gigi. I see the way you look at her, babe. I get it. I loved her once, too”.

“But you left her”. Parker climbed out of bed, proceeding to pull on his shorts.

“I wasn’t as in love as you are. Besides, I had already been involved with Liam. For years”. Smoke left Zayn’s mouth as his words were spoken. “This is the first time we gave it a go”.

“And I guess it’ll be the last”. Parker’s face was now centimeters away from Zayn’s, his eyes glazed.

Zayn shrugged. “If that’s what you want, yeah”.

“Don’t you give a shit about people, Zayn? How could you cheat on Liam, and not even give a shit about me?”

Zayn looked up to him, kissing Parkers chest. “I do care. But you care more. Which is why I know this would never work out, babe”.

“What does that even mean? Quit trying to be a bad boy here, Zayn”.

“What I mean, is that you care too much for Gigi, and now starting to care for me as more than your best lad. You can’t fuck me right while thinking of her. And now when you go back to her, you won’t be able to fuck her right while thinking of me”. Zayn smiled when he kissed Parker’s neck, sort of enjoying the way he was affecting the shorter man’s mind. “Unless we leave”.

“You’re so fucking confusing, Zayn”. Parker laughed.

Zayn moved away from him, the cigarette back in his mouth.

“You need to drop that. It’s so bad for you”. Parker said, looking for a shirt.

“Coming from the guy who likes to get punched for fun”. Zayn looked over his shoulder, watching the man pull over a shirt, covering up what Zayn loved to look at.

Parker laughed. “I enjoy MMA, it’s a great workout”.

“Good thing it’s not your career”.

“When you’re done talking shit, can come with me to find some food”.

Zayn laughed and followed the man out of the room, hungry for more than food.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

"That's her new guy, Zayn", Liam whispered in his ear as he handed his boyfriend a drink. "He's rather handsome, don't you think?"

Zayn nodded,. "Who is he? Some kind of athlete or something?"

The unfamiliar man with Gigi Hadid had the body of an athlete. Maybe he was a footballer? No, he's not so thin. Gymnast? Zayn's mind was wandering.

"He negotiates contracts. He's a total lame ass, really. Dork. But he's handsome, I'll give him that". Liam took a swig of his drink before tugging at Zayn's sleeve. "Can we please get out of here now, babe?"

Zayn's concentration broke when a familiar voice filled his ears. "Zayn, Liam!"

It was Harry Styles, who looked no different. His hair still needed a trim. Zayn smiled, "Hey Harry".

"Liam! We need to talk real quick. I need your assistance, mate", Harry said, smiling at Zayn before taking Liam away from him.

Zayn chuckled to himself as he took a sip of his drink, scanning the room for the guy who had previously held his attention. He found him at the bar, without Gigi. He looked for Gigi, who he found with Kendall and their group. He took another sip before he decided to go and introduce himself to Mr. Tall Dark and Handsome.

As he approached him, Zayn could feel his stomach starting to tie up in knots. What the fuck, Zayn? He placed himself beside the man, who had exchanged a few words with the bartender before a glass of whiskey was handed to him.

"I'm a whiskey guy as well", Zayn offered as he perched himself against the bar, taking a good look at the man

"I'm a whiskey guy as well", Zayn offered as he perched himself against the bar, taking a good look at the man.

He turned to Zayn, his face both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. "It's the only thing strong enough to get me through this evening".

Zayn laughed softly, "These parties get old, mate".

The man smiled, his neatly shaven beard tickling Zayn's soul. "It's my first. And I am hoping my last".

"It could be, depending on why you came here". Zayn placed his empty glass on the bar counter, signaling to the bartender for another.

"I'm accompanying my girlfriend and her friends. This isn't my scene". He took a swig of his whiskey. "Why are you here?"

Zayn laughed. "Because I'm supposed to be".

The man didn't understand what that meant, but left it at that. "Parker Cruz" He offered Zayn his hand.

"Zayn Mailk" he shook his firm hand, feeling the roughness. He had to be an athlete, he thought.

Parker's eyes widened a tad, when he realized who this was. "Oh, you're the Zayn Malik?"

The Brit nodded. "Yes sir". He's figuring it out now.

"I'm not sure if I'm supposed to be communicating with you, Mr. Malik". Parker grew slightly serious, looking over his shoulder.

"And why's that, Mr. Cruz?" The Brit smirked at him. This guy really is a dork.

He swallowed. "I'm here with Gigi".

Zayn smiled slowly, letting his lips form completely into a curve. "Lucky man, yeah?"

Parker nodded, smiling. "Yes".

"But why would that mean we can't communicate?"

"Isn't she your ex?" He offered.

Zayn furrowed his brows. "Yes, but if I am not mistaken, I didn't know that about two seconds ago, and if I can recall correctly, it isn't exactly illegal for us to speak".

Parker chuckled. "You're right".

"So are you an athlete or something? Model?"

"Neither". Parker laughed, bringing his glass to his lips, somewhat flattered that he offered model. "I negotiate contracts for athletes and people in the entertainment industry".

Zayn was actually impressed. It wasn't as "dork" like as Liam said it to be. "That's impressive. You make them a lot of money, yeah?"

Parker chuckled. "Yeah, you could say that".

"How the hell did you meet Gigi?" Zayn asked, his head slightly tilting.

Parker blushed. "We met when I was working out a modeling contract for Ms. Jenner. She introduced us".

Zayn nodded along. "You're very different from what she usually dates".

"What are you trying to do here, man?" Parker grew serious. He set his glass down, his eyebrows furrowed.

"Nothing, honestly. Just really interesting how a guy like you wound up with a girl like her". Zayn drank the rest of his alcohol and set the empty glass down.

Parker shrugged. "If you say so". He didn't like the questions he was being asked.

"So, this negotiating business of yours, have you ever cracked into the music industry?" Zayn asked.

"I haven't, but I'm sure I can handle it. Why?"

Zayn sighed. "I could use the help. My record label is rubbish, what they're asking from me is too high and I don't know how to go about any of it".

Parker stared at Zayn for a minute, unsure if he was fucking with him or if he was being sincere. "If you're serious, you can give me a call Monday and we'll discuss it further". Parker grabbed a business card from the inside of his tuxedo pocket, handing it over to Zayn.

"Babe", the two men heard a female's voice say. They whirled around to face Gigi, who looked amazing in her black dress.

"Gigi, nice to see you". Zayn said, a smirk on his lips.

She rolled his eyes. "Hello Zayn. I see you've met my boyfriend Parker".

"Yeah," Zayn smiled, nodding along. "I think I might be hiring him Monday".

Gigi looked at him, then to Parker.

"That's not final. We're going to discuss it Monday". Parker said, wrapping an arm around her waist before extending his hand to Zayn. "It was nice meeting you. We will be in touch, I suppose".

"We will, Mr. Cruz". Zayn smiled, shaking it. "Good night, Gigi".

Zayn watched as the couple walked away, noticing that she was slightly taller than him. He smiled to himself as he examined the business card, running his finger over the name.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please comment. I like to hear feedback.  
> Thanks for reading!  
> Peace!


	3. Chapter 3

It was Monday afternoon, the sun beating down on the tinted windows of an office with a view of Los Angeles. Parker quickly signed a contract with his client, a footballer for the LA Galaxy, as they had managed to get him a nice chunk of change after leading the team last season to a cup victory. Parker shook hands with the representative from LA Galaxy, who waited on the footballer to sign before he shook his hand as well.

“I’ll scan over the copies as soon as I get back into the office. It was a pleasure doing business with you, gentleman”. The thin man said. His glasses were at the tip of his nose.

Parker smiled back, and suddenly noticed someone walking toward his office. It took him a minute to realize that Zayn had waltzed through his office suite, chatting with different employees of his. Parker quickly turned his attention back to his client and showed them the way out. He quickly walked over to where Zayn was, who seemed entertained with his assistant, Jeff.

Parker cleared his throat. “What happened to calling?”

Zayn looked up and smiled, his teeth showing slightly. It wasn’t a toothy grin, he was much too cool to show such an expression. It was much more confident. “I thought I’d just show up. Didn’t want to waste any time. Can we meet now?”

Parker looked over to Jeff. He wasn’t sure if this was a good idea. Gigi said it was solely up to him, but he knew she wasn’t excited about the potential partnership. “Jeff,” he called. “Clear my schedule for this afternoon, please. Mr. Malik here, he’s our new client. I need some time”.

Jeff, a thin faced blond with light blue eyes, nodded, immediately turning on his heels and heading to his desk area, where he got to work.

Parker looked to Zayn, and nodded in the direction of his office as he led the way, Zayn walking behind, observing the office suite. He had only 10 employees in the suite. How big was his business exactly? He admired the modern furniture and all glass offices. But when they arrived to Parker’s, he noticed it was modern, just much more private.

“Have a seat,” Parker commanded as he locked the office door behind him. He moved to his desk chair before unbuttoning the last button on his suit jacket. He took a seat and looked across his desk, directly into Zayn’s eyes. “Tell me about the record deal”.

Zayn sighed. “They want a 70/30 cut. They get 70, and I get 30. What kind of shit is that? I write the music, sing the music, and sell the damn music!”

Parker nodded, motioning with his hands for Zayn to calm himself a bit. “Do you have a copy of the original contract you signed with them? What were the stipulations then?”

Zayn shrugged. “I know my manager has a copy, I can get it from her”.

“Good, we’ll need it. I need to see it. Zayn, how many records, roughly, have you sold under this label?”

Zayn’s eyes wandered before going back to Parker, who was scribbling some notes on a legal pad. “Unsure of the exact number, about 1 million”.

Parker raised an eyebrow and slowly looked up at him. “To date?”

“No, the first month my album was released”. Zayn watched the man look back down at his writing pad, scribbling another note.

“Okay”, Parker placed his pen neatly on the desk and looked up to Zayn. “They’re robbing you, no doubt. But I’m going to need a whole lot more information before I can take care of business for you. I am warning you, Zayn, this will not happen overnight. And if there are any red flags, things might get ugly. But overall, I can negotiate the hell out of practically anything, so like I said, with real information, I can get you taken care of”.

Zayn sat back in the leather chair, his left leg crossed over his right. He chewed at his gum, nodding along with Parker. “But is it a guarantee that I’ll be getting more money?”

Parker shook his head. “I need the appropriate information to get you the money you should have been earning”. He focused his eyes on Zayn’s body language. He couldn’t read him very well, but it seemed that he was actually very serious about this. He had to be, he showed up at his office.

The Brit looked into Parker’s eyes. “How much?”

Parker laughed with a shake of his head, somewhat frustrated. “Zayn, like I said, I can’t pos-“

“I mean, how much am I going to have to pay you?”

Parker leaned back in his chair, his muscular back meeting the leather. He grinned softly. “Typically, for athletes and actors, I take about 10 percent of what they make”.

Zayn smiled. “Fair enough”.

“The quicker you get me the information, the quicker we can move things along”. Parker said, matter-of-factly.

Zayn pulled out his phone, quickly dialing a number and putting the phone to his ear, holding up a finger to Parker for him to be quiet.

“Hey, I need some important information. Send me the copy of the record label contract. Actually, bring it with you. I’ll text you the address. I think we’re moving”. Zayn hung up the call, sliding his phone back into his pocket. He looked at Parker, parting his lips slowly. “Once I get you these documents and shit, you go to the label?”

Parker shook his head. “No. I do some research, I’ll find different contracts similar to yours, any cases like this, and then I’ll set up a meeting with the label. I’ll have a backup meeting with a new label, possibly a much better label, and go to war”.

“War?”

Parker smiled as he stood up from his chair, buttoning up his suit jacket. “Contract negotiations aren’t graceful events”. He walked over to his drawer, pulling it over and looking through his files. “It’s basically like throwing bait in the middle of a small pool filled with sharks. Only one shark will eat. You either leave satisfied, or you leave hungrier than when you came in”.

“You enjoy it, yeah?” Zayn asked, standing up, noticing a photograph of the man and Gigi on his desk.

Parker looked over his shoulder, his eyes landing on Zayn. “Very much”.

Zayn then noticed a photograph of him and a professional fighter. Looked like that was Parker’s thing. Fighting. He noticed some awards behind the desk, standing up on a glass table just before the window with the view of Los Angeles. They were awards for his professional work as well as his involvement as a mixed martial artist.

“So, look this over. It’s a client contract. Basically saying you don’t owe me anything unless we get you taken care of. But I always advise everyone to read, word for word, before they sign anything”. Parker had brought Zayn a pen and a two paged document. Zayn took it and looked it over, making sure he understood what he was reading.

“So if I make money, you make money?” Zayn asked, the tip of his pen touching the paper.

“Exactly”. Parker said. “So everyone here wins”.

Zayn signed the document and handed it back to Parker, who placed it neatly on his desk. There was a faint knock before Jeff poked his head in through the door.

“Parker, Gigi’s on the other line”.

Zayn smirked before he said, “Don’t be long. I’ll be just outside”.

 

 

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

Liam breathed heavily as he felt Zayn’s pleasure fill him. He moaned loudly, his eyes rolling to the back of his head. He felt Zayn’s strong hands on either of his shoulders, his grip becoming less forceful as he got over his climax.

“Fuck, Zayn!” Liam groaned as he leaned upward on his knees. He leaned into his back into his boyfriend’s bare chest, craning his neck to kiss Zayn’s scruffy jaw.

“That was good, yeah?” Zayn asked with a smile on his face. “Now I’m hungry”.

Liam rolled his eyes as he laid himself down on the bed, too tired to move. He watched as Zayn pulled up some jeans and found a shirt to put on. He never understood why Zayn avoided cuddling after sex. At first, Liam just thought it was because Zayn was hungry. But he had caught on to his pattern. It was every single time. “How come you never cuddle with me?”

Zayn looked confused as he tied up his shoes. “Cause I’m always hungry after sex, you know that”.

Liam didn’t buy it, but he didn’t argue it. “where are you going?”

“Food hunting. Come on, Li. Let’s go”. Zayn said, grabbing his wallet and keys.

He shook his head, his eyes semi closed. “I’ll wait for you here”.

“Really?” Zayn asked, obviously annoyed. “You never want to go post sex food hunting”.

“And you never want to post sex cuddle”.

Zayn didn’t bother responding. He waved a short and cold hand before exiting the room, leaving Liam to lay there by himself.

As Zayn walked down the seemingly empty street, he felt his phone buzz. He took it out from his jean pockets, unlocking the screen to see who the message was from.

**_Zayn, it’s Parker. Dug up a few files today. Seems to me that your label is notorious for this. We may want to look at another option. Please let me know when you’re available to talk. Thanks, -PC_ **

_Such a fucking formal text_ Zayn thought before he pressed the green button to call him. It rang three times before he heard a muffled sound.

“This is Parker”.

Zayn contorted his face. This guy was way too professional for him. “It’s Zayn. I just got your message. Can we meet now?”

“Why now? It can wait until tomorrow, Zayn”.

Zayn shook his head. “You don’t understand, I’m already working on another album and I want to do what’s necessary before I start recording it with the wrong label”.

He heard a faint sigh. He sounded like he was home. “Okay, Zayn. Where do I meet you?”

Zayn looked around him and found a small coffee shop. “Leo’s Coffee on 8th”.

“I’ll see you in ten”.

 

 

“It’s impossible to deal with these guys, basically. They offer the cheapest foundation but it’s only the first three months that you record. You were probably paying them out of your ass and you had no idea”. Parker said in between sips of his coffee. He checked his watch. _9 PM_.

“Sorry, I know it’s late”. Zayn said. He really wasn’t sorry. He wanted his stuff taken care of.

Parker shrugged. “It’s fine. I had to reschedule dinner with my own girlfriend for the fifth time this month”.

Zayn laughed, catching Parker’s attention.

“Glad you’re amused”.

“It’s just, I know how she can be. I’m sorry for you”. Zayn took a cigarette to his lips and lit it up. He offered one to Parker, who waved his hand no.

“She’s a good woman” Parker defended her. “I don’t know your history with her, nor do I care, but she’s a great woman”.

Zayn nodded, a crooked smile on his scruffy face. “You two won’t last”.

Parker furrowed his brows. “The fuck is your problem?”

Zayn shrugged. “I’m just being frank”.

“You’re being a jackass. Do you want her back, is that it?” Parker asked, setting down his coffee.

Zayn noticed that Parker’s voice was increasing slightly in volume. He was like the damn hulk. “No, not at all. I’m taken”.

Parker rolled his eyes. “I feel sorry for that girl”.

 _He had no idea,_ Zayn thought as he took more coffee down his throat, the warm liquid traveling down to his stomach. “He’s happy with me”.

Parker raised an eyebrow. “You went from woman to man?”

Zayn shook his head. “He was always there. Before Gigi. Before anyone else. He’s the love of my life”.

“Then why do you care so much about Gigi and I? You keep dropping hints”. Parker gave Zayn his full attention.

“I just don’t see a guy like you with a girl like her”.

“I don’t know what that means, but honestly it’s none of your business. So I’d appreciate you backing off. Especially if you want me to get you that money”.

Zayn smirked, mostly to himself. He enjoyed stirring the pot with this guy.  “Whatever. She’s your problem. Trust me, she will become a problem, if she hasn’t already”.

Parker took a minute to calm himself as he stood up, looking down at Zayn. “I don’t know what your problem is with her, but if this is going to continue, then I won’t help you out”.

“That’s a big paycheck you’d be skipping out on, mate”. Zayn said calmly, unimpressed.

“Some things are worth more than a big paycheck, _mate_ ”. Parker grabbed his coat before he walked out of the coffee shop.

Zayn watched through the shop window as the angry man walked down the street. Zayn inhaled the nicotine and exhaled slowly, his eyes rolling back as he thought about his own antics. He wasn’t sure what was making him act this way. He hadn’t cared about Gigi since they broke up. But it wasn’t even Gigi who was on his mind. It was Parker. His stomach was tied into small knots as he started realizing that he was slightly jealous of Gigi. It wasn’t for Gigi, it was _of_ the model.

 

 

\---------------------------------------------------------

 

Thanks for reading!

This chapter was sort of just fluff before i

get into more heavy stuff. I don't like to immediately let things

escalate.

Anyway, much peace!

 

 


	5. Chapter 5

“Are we actually going to dinner Saturday night, or are you going to have some impromptu meeting again?” Gigi asked as she stared into her boyfriend’s brown eyes.

He sighed. “I promise, this Saturday night, we’re going to dinner”. He reached out and caressed the blonde’s cheeks, his thumb rubbing gently against her warm skin.

“You’ve been so busy lately; I’m actually surprised you got out of work before 10 PM”. She smiled, leaning her face into his touch.

“I wanted to come see you, so I had cleared some things off of my calendar”. He stared into her haunting eyes, captivated by the way they seemed to grab a hold of you and never let go. He smiled at her, his eyes wandering from her eyes to her lips, down to the freckles on her neck and chest. He knew he was a lucky man. The last thing he wanted to do was let her down again.

Soon enough, the blonde fell asleep, but Parker was wide awake. His eyes hurt from the bright screen on his phone. He was sifting through his emails, sighing as he realized that answering one would result in 20 more messages coming in. This was never ending. A part of him regrets ever fucking up his opportunity in the sport he loved. The other part reminded him to be grateful. He was even grateful that Gigi convinced him not to drop Zayn’s case. He had told her the things Malik would say and she told him to ignore it because a case like this would launch him into the music industry for good, and that’s something he needed.

Just as soon as he was about to set his phone down, it vibrated with a message from Jeff. He opened it, almost squinting from the brightness.

**_Jeff: Hey Boss Man. I’ve dug up some nice documents we can use for Mr. Malik’s case. Your idea might be the best way to go about all of this. I’ll have everything prepared for your review tomorrow morning. You have a small window before 10 AM._ **

Parker read it twice over before sighing, a smile on his face. He figured he had come up with the best solution for Zayn’s label. He and his team had been digging and researching for almost two weeks now, and he had come to the conclusion that this label is a rip off, and seems to do it to many of its recording artists. However, many don’t fight for their money and just blow it off. He chuckled quietly. He figured they had enough money to ignore that sort of thing.

**_Parker: Thank you. I’ll see you tomorrow morning then. Call up Alpha Records and set up an appointment with them. Include Mr. Malik’s manager on a follow up email, she’ll have to be present at such meeting. Thanks for your help._ **

He placed the phone, face down, beside him on the wooden nightstand. He turned back to face his girlfriend, who he figured was probably in her tenth dream at this point. It was two in the morning, and she had been out on some set the entire day. He smiled to himself as she breathed heavily. She was in deep sleep. He moved himself closer to her, planting a soft kiss on her forehead before he wrapped his arm around her. He knew he was in love with her. He just hadn’t told her so. He wondered if she loved him. She didn’t know about his past, and he wasn’t going to tell her unless it was absolutely necessary. Only Jeff and his family knew, and the person who was involved at the time. He figured everyone made mistakes. His cost him a career, but nonetheless, that made him no different than anyone else. At least, that’s what he told himself. He knew better.

 

\---Z---

 

The cup of coffee warmed up his hands, the smell filling his nostrils. Jeff watched as his boss inhaled the coffee in almost one gulp. His eyes widened, growing concerned.

“Are you alright, Parker?” he asked, brushing his hair back out of his eyes.

Parker nodded, setting down his now empty cup of coffee. “Yeah, just didn’t sleep much last night”.

Jeff raised an eyebrow, a smirk on his face. “Were you with Gigi?”

“Keep it professional”. Parker said coldly. “And yes I was, but she wasn’t why I was up so late”.

Parker didn’t like to discuss his personal life much, especially in the office. Even though Jeff was basically his best friend, he didn’t like to go into things regarding he and Gigi. That was for them two and them two alone.

Jeff cleared his throat. “Anyway, I got us the meeting you wanted with Alpha. They’re quite excited, actually”.

Parker nodded. “Good. Where’s Mr. Malik?” He looked at the time. Zayn was late.

“He hasn’t shown up yet. Should we move on without him?”

“No, he needs to know his options. Although, I’m only giving him one option. He has the right to know”.

Jeff smiled, admiring the way Parker handled business. He had known Parker since they were ten years old. He remembered that Parker had stuck up for him when the big bully was about to kick his ass. Ever since then, he had been by his side, even when Parker blew his chance a few years ago.

The door flew open, and Zayn waltzed in, on the phone, seemingly annoyed. “I’ll call you later Liam”.

Parker’s eyes narrowed in on Zayn’s. The singer shut the door behind him, walking over to the leather chair in which he sat his first time here in the office before letting out a sigh. He looked over to Jeff and sent him a subtle wink before returning his attention to Parker, who didn’t seemed to be in a good mood.

“Sorry I’m late”. Zayn offered with a smile. “What’s up?”

Parker rubbed his temples before leaning against his desk, only about a foot or two away from where Zayn sat. “We’re ready to move forward, but I need to let you know what’s about to happen. Your manager is in the loop”.

Zayn nodded along, not all there. He kept thinking about Liam and their fight. He watched Parker’s lips move, but he could only hear Liam yelling at him. He tuned Parker out completely.

“Zayn!” Parker’s voice was louder now, and he could hear how irritated he was.

“Sorry, mate, I’m all yours”. Zayn said, his eyes now on Parker’s.

“Good!” Parker was not amused. “We’re going to give your label one option. That option is to either pay you more, or by out their own contract and release you. They’re going to go with the second option because it’s going to be a hell of a lot cheaper to do so. Alpha Records wants you, desperately. They are looking for the 80/20 split. You get 80, they get 20. And anything you sell with royalties would go to you, not Alpha. IT’s a better deal, it’s a more prestigious label, and it’ll definitely get you a lot more money and better success as an artist”.

Zayn was impressed. “Okay, so when are we meeting with the labels?”

“Next week, with your current label. I couldn’t get a meeting with Alpha any sooner than three weeks. They’re booked. I’m telling you, they’re the best of the best, Zayn. I wouldn’t put my client with a company any less”. Parker said, adjusting his cuff links.

Zayn watched him, his eyes beginning to wander. “So I basically have to put my album on hold?”

Parker nodded. “Until we move you”.

“How long does this take? I mean after we meet with Alpha”. Zayn was growing impatient.

”No more than two weeks for paperwork processing and such”. Parker said, watching his client’s expressions.

“Parker, that’s a long time to wait!”

“Do you want more money or do you want to stay with that shit show label of yours?” Parker’s voice was almost monstrous, he was absolutely annoyed with Zayn at this point.

Jeff cleared his throat. “Mr. Malik”, he called, diverting his attention from Parker, who was quite obviously upset. “This is going to be the best thing for you. Time is money. The more time you give us to do what we have to do, the more money you’ll be earning. It’s your pick. Parker here, he’s the best at what he does. So I’d listen to him”.

Parker shot a smile to his assistant. He knew precisely just when to take over for him when needed. Zayn shifted in his seat, somewhat annoyed with Jeff. “How much are we getting from the label?”

“3 Million”. Parker said quietly. “I already notified them that you’re working on another album, so if that sells, which I’m sure it will, you’re looking at 6, give or take”.

Zayn’s eyes widened. “That’s a good deal, yeah?”

“It’s one hell of a deal!” Parker said, almost revealing how excited he was. He loved this.

Zayn’s phone rang, interrupting him before he could even speak. He grabbed it out of his pocket and answered. “Not now, I’m with my attorney”.

Parker watched as Zayn’s face went from annoyed to angry. He wondered who he was talking to before he turned his attention to Jeff, who was attacking his emails.

“Where should I take Gigi to dinner?” Parker asked in a whisper.

Jeff raised an eyebrow. “What does she like to eat?”

“Everything” Parker smiled. “But I want to take her somewhere really nice. She deserves it”.

“Take her to The View, Parker”.

Parker paused. “That’s a nice place. Thanks Jeff. I’ll call for reservations then”.

“Don’t worry, I’m already on it” Jeff replied as he began dialing a number into the phone, walking away from his boss and out of the office.

“So, we’ll be in touch?” Zayn asked, hanging up his phone as he rose from the chair, facing Parker.

“Yes. Business casual, by the way, for the meeting”. Parker advised.

Zayn nodded. “Got it”.

Parker could sense he wasn’t happy. “You alright?”

“What do you care?” Zayn shrugged as he turned on his heels and headed for the office door. “By the way”. He said before he opened the door. “She’s wanted to go to The View for years”. He proceeded to open the door and walk out, leaving Parker at his desk.


	6. Chapter 6

Zayn rocked back and forth on his heels while Liam gave him an earful, trying to avoid eye contact with him. Liam’s eyes were red, perhaps he had been crying before Zayn arrived to their apartment.

“You lied to me!” He yelled at his boyfriend, who stood there and looked everywhere else but at him. “Zayn!”

The dark haired man looked Liam in the eyes, sighing. “I didn’t lie to you, Liam. You’re blowing this whole thing out of proportion, love!”

Liam shook his head. “Why didn’t you tell me you were working with him?”

“I don’t see what the big deal is”. Zayn shrugged, rolling his eyes. “It’s a matter of money”.

“It’s a matter of someone who’s connected to _her_!” Liam yelled, walking closer to him.

“Oh, please, Liam! I want nothing to do with her!” Zayn said, plopping himself down on the couch as he watched an enraged Liam find his next words. _That’s what this whole thing is about._

“Then why use him? That makes no sense Zayn and you know it”. Liam said, somewhat calmer, but not all his anger has left his body.

Zayn shrugged. “He’s a fantastic negotiator”.

“Have you done any research? That’s what you’re supposed to do when you hire an attorney, Zayn”. Liam said, his eyes glued to Zayn’s.

Zayn nodded. “He’s the best”.

“And you know this how?” Liam asked.

Zayn smirked. “I googled him”.

Liam through his hands in the air. “You googled him. Brilliant. And?”

“He’s got a fuck ton of awards, babe. He knows what he’s doing, will you drop it?” Zayn was now growing impatient. They had already had three fights this week, all completely unrelated to the new discovery that Liam had made while talking to Zayn’s manager. Needless to say, the man was furious.

“Well, Sherlock Holmes, I did a little research on him myself. Want to know what I found out?”

Zayn rolled his eyes again. “Not really, no”.

“Well, babe, I’ll tell you anyway. Really, I don’t know what Gigi is thinking, she mustn’t know herself!” Liam said.

Zayn was confused. “What does that mean, Li?”

“He wasn’t always this great contracts attorney, Zayn! That’s why you have to do your research. Not just hire someone because he gets you closer to Gigi again”.

“Liam, I’m not trying to get close to Gigi again. If I wanted to, I could do that without him”. Zayn said confidently, not looking at Liam.

“Oh?” Liam paused. “What makes you so sure? From what I can tell, she is very much in love with this guy”.

“Pictures mean nothing, we all know that. You said the same about me”.

Liam chuckled, almost crazy like. “I think you still love her”.

“You’re mad, you know that, Liam?” Zayn grew frustrated with Liam. It had nothing to do with Gigi. Really, he couldn’t even wrap his mind around his need to let Parker handle his business, but he just needed him to. He didn’t let himself think about it any further than that.

“Why’d you leave her if you still want her? Just to get me to stay quiet?” Liam’s hands were flailing.

Zayn shook his head. “Honestly, babe, I don’t want her. I haven’t wanted her. I hired him because he was recommended, I looked him up, I saw his work. He’s getting me 3 million and a new deal that could bring in 6 million, Liam. He knows what he’s doing”.

“Whatever, Zayn. All I know is that I looked him up, and some things aren’t adding up”. Liam stood up and paced back and forth, looking to the floor.

“What isn’t adding up?”

Liam sighed. “Did you know he was an amateur fighter in the UFC?”

Zayn nodded. “I saw some trophies and plaques in his office, yeah. Why?”

“Well, he was banned from the UFC”. Liam said. “Don’t you talk to him about things other than work?”

Zayn shook his head. “No, he’s sort of a serious asshole. He doesn’t appreciate my humor”.

Liam gave him an eye before responding. “I don’t even want to know what you say to him”.

“I poke fun, no harm, really”. Zayn smiled.

“Just be careful. Things aren’t adding up. He was banned from a sport that he’s good at. Maybe it’s drugs, maybe he killed someone, no one seems to know. But if you’re banned from a fighting sport, doesn’t that make you question him?” Liam asked his boyfriend, who seemed to be thinking.

Zayn turned to him. “I don’t question him. Want to know why?”

“Why, Zayn?”

“Because he’s a human being. And human beings aren’t perfect. I don’t care if he killed someone. He’s hardworking and he’s getting me what I need”. Zayn looked away from his boyfriend, knowing that Liam would disapprove of his thought process.

“Zayn, you’re ridiculous. But I can’t tell you what to do. Just be careful. I don’t trust him”.

“Oi, Liam! He’s not a criminal! He probably abused a PED or something; give the guy a break, yeah?” Zayn snapped.

Liam nodded slowly. “Fine”.

“Good”.

“So truthfully, this isn’t for Gigi?” Liam asked, worry written all over his face.

Zayn smiled at his boyfriend, motioning him to sit on his lap. Liam pouted and followed, leaning back into his boyfriend as he sat on his thighs, moving his head to expose his neck for Zayn’s kissing pleasure.

“Babe,” Zayn said. “I don’t want her. Ever. Again. You understand me? You’ve got nothing to worry about”.

 


	7. Chapter 7

“Cruz! Use the combo! One, two then the four!” A bald man with tattoo covered arms yelled, his hands cupped on either side of his mouth.

Parker acknowledged what his trainer told him, and confirmed receipt of that information when he unleashed the combination of punches and a kick to the chin that sent his opponent down to the ground.

“Finish him!”

Parker breathed before presuming his position atop the man on the ground, who attempted to block the hammer punches coming his way. He had a hard time stopping once his adrenaline was this spiked, so a referee had to jump in between Parker and his opponent, the man absorbing one of Parker’s ferocious punches before pushing him to the ground, calling the fight. Parker watched as the referee helped the other man up, another man, from the medical team, examined the opponents’ eyes before checking other things.

He sighed as he waited for them to call the victor. This wasn’t the octagon in Vegas, but it was all he was ever going to get, so he appreciated it. The referee now stood between a bloody faced Parker, and a purple faced opponent. The ref waited for the announcer. It felt like UFC gold, but in the small MMA arena in Los Angeles for the AFCC (Amateur Fighting Championship of California), the seats weren’t sold out, but it was surprising how many people were actually there. Enough to make it feel like it was more than what it truly was.

“And the victor, by knockout!” the announcer wasn’t Bruce Buffer, but he at least tried. As soon as he said Parker’s name, the referee raised his arm, and a belt was strapped to Parker’s body, his chest heaving, and a warm smile on his face. Instantly, Parker took the opponent into his arms and thanked him for a hell of a fight.

After answering a few questions by an MMA source, Parker left the octagon and went for the locker rooms when he caught someone out of the corner of his eye.

_Zayn?_

He turned his head fully and confirmed that it was Zayn. Parker headed to his direction, confused, his face expressing just that. Zayn shot him a smile as he took a step toward the bloody faced Parker.

“Didn’t know we had a meeting?” Parker said, trying to find a clock somewhere.

“We don’t”, Zayn said. “I wanted to check this out. Funny I found you in there getting all bloodied up”.

Parker furrowed his brows. “Are you stalking me, Malik?”

Zayn shrugged. “Perhaps I was just curious as to what you do for fun, since you’re so ‘no-nonsense’ every time we speak”.

Parker chuckled. “Well, it’s business. I can’t be fucking off at work”.

“Agreed”. Zayn nodded, looking around them. “Let’s grab dinner, yeah?”

Parker glared at the man, unsure what he wanted. “For?”

“As a thank you for everything you’ve done for me the past few weeks”, Zayn offered.

“We haven’t even signed anything yet”, Parker began. “Don’t you think this is premature?”

Zayn shook his head. “Not at all Mr. Cruz. Now go and wash up, I’ll pull the car up just outside the back entrance”.

Parker sighed and headed in the direction of the locker rooms, where he showered and changed into a pair of jeans and a “Cruz Alliance” shirt, his favorite fighter being Dominick Cruz. He smiled when he realized they shared the same last name. He got up and grabbed his duffel bag before heading to the rear entrance, where an Audi R8 was pulled up, the engine humming silently. The tinted window rolled down, revealing Zayn behind the driver’s side.

“Really, an Audi?” Parker laughed as he opened the passenger door and climbed in, carefully resting his bag between his legs on the floor of the car. He heard The Weeknd playing quietly in the background.

“Ready?” Zayn asked as he watched Parker close the door.

Parker gave Zayn a slight nod and he shifted gears and the car took off, the horses screaming as he took the vehicle onto the freeway, heading to his favorite little food joint. He fancied pizza and beer, and he figured Parker would as well.

They arrived at the small place, pretty hidden and intimate. Zayn opened the door for Parker before following him inside. The girl at the front took one look and immediately nodded for them to go to the back. Parker followed, his eyes darting everywhere, analyzing his surroundings.

Before they could sit at the booth, Parker struggled to ask Zayn to sit opposite so that he could have a line of sight to the front door of the place. Zayn laughed, telling him how fucking weird he was before he obliged to the man’s request.

“Thanks” Parker offered as the waitress brought them two beers. He hadn’t ordered it, but figured Zayn came here often enough to where they knew just what to get him.

“I usually get pizza but you can get whatever you want. On me, although I’m sure you could afford to buy out the damn place”. Zayn took a swig of his beer, his eyes closing at the taste of the amber liquid in his mouth. “This is a house brew, ya know”.

Parker smiled, taking the cold frosted glass and bringing the liquid into his mouth, admiring the flavor. “It’s good shit”.

The waitress came by and asked Zayn if they were getting his usual, and Parker nodded, giving the approval. She smiled at the two men before leaving to the kitchen.

“Why’d you bring me here?” Parker asked.

Zayn rolled his eyes. “Come on, mate! I already told you!”

Parker nodded, scoffing. “Yes. Got that. But there’s something else, I can tell”.

Zayn stared at the man across from him, his eyes glowing dark brown. “You over think everything”.

Parker laughed a bit as he took down more beer. “You were upset the other day. And I can see something is still bothering you”.

Zayn looked away from him, somewhat annoyed; somewhat flattered that someone cared about him at least a slight bit. He shook his head and smiled. “I’m fine”.

“Okay then”. Parker sighed and looked to the door when he heard it open. Then he returned his attention back to his client when he realized it was just an elderly couple.

“What’s with you?” Zayn asked, looking back to the direction in which Parker was just looking.

Parker shook his head. “Sorry, just a habit I guess”.

“How’s Gigi?” Zayn asked, a nasty smile on his face.

“Perfect”.

“Did you take her to The View?”

Parker shook his head. “That’s Saturday night”.

“She’s going to love you for it. And you’re going to get the pussy of the century after that, mate”. Zayn downed the beer, setting the empty glass before him.

“Why do you care so much? About me and Gigi?” Parker asked, a faint smile forming on his lips.

Zayn laughed. He shrugged and looked around before returning his attention to him. “Just kinda curious is all”.

“About what? I thought you loved Liam. His name is Liam, right?”

Zayn smiled. “Yes, Liam”.

“So answer me. What’s your deal, dude?”

“Does she ever go to your fights?” Zayn asked, his gaze unbroken.

Parker swallowed, and it was clear to Zayn that something was off. “She doesn’t attend them, no”.

Zayn nodded. “Do you go to her shows?”

Parker nodded. “Of course”.

“Then how come she doesn’t go to yours?” Zayn pressed on.

Parker shook his head. “Why do you always do this?”

“Do what?” Zayn asked, acting confused.

“Fine, mother fucker. What’s up with you and Liam? You still butthurt about him yelling at you? How does this all work out with fans and stuff. Are they okay with you sucking another dude’s dick? Isn’t he your former band mate?”

Zayn’s lips curled into a small smile. “You and him would be good friends. He thinks I’m after Gigi as well”.

Parker snorted. “What the fuck is your problem? How are you smiling when your own man thinks you’re trying to get in someone else’s pants?”

Zayn laughed now, shaking his head. “If I wanted Gigi, I could get her back easily”.

Parker slammed his fist on the table hard enough for the beer glasses to dance as the silverware shook violently. He stood up quickly, stretching his neck as if to calm his nerves. He turned to Zayn and leaned in close to him, his nose only a few inches apart from the other man’s. “After this deal is through, I never want to speak to you again, understand? I don’t know what the fuck your problem is, nor do I even care. You’re fucking pathetic. You try to act like you’re a badass. Well guess what, you’re not. You’re a little wuss. Don’t speak to me unless it’s got something to do with the transaction”.

Zayn smiled into the man’s face, a small chuckle escaping his lips. He enjoyed the proximity between them but figured this wasn’t the appropriate time. “I guess you’d have to pulverize a guy to be a badass to your standards, huh, Cruz?”

Parker’s eyes widened as he stepped back from Zayn slowly. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“Or is it the PEDs that make you bad?” Zayn was unimpressed, although he knew he triggered something.

“What are you doing?” Parker asked, his chest heaved as he breathed, trying to contain himself. He wanted to crack Zayn’s skull open. “Are you trying to fuck me over?”

Zayn laughed. “No, of course not. I have no reason to. But just know, I know you’re hiding something. Probably a lot of things”.

Parker was growing frustrated. “What do you want? Questions about Gigi, about myself, assumptions about my past…what is it?”

Zayn shook his head. _I just want to get to know the real you_. “Nothing”.

“It’s something, very clear that it’s something”. Parker stared at him.

“Can you please sit down?” Zayn gestured with his hand.

Parker stayed quiet as he listened to him. His heartbeat was ramped.

“Parker, have you ever felt lonely? Like really fucking lonely that you could cry?” Zayn asked.

_What the fuck?_ Parker raised an eyebrow. “Yes”.

Zayn nodded. “I feel like that every fucking night when I go to sleep. Sometimes, it hurts so much, that I don’t even sleep”.

“Why are you telling me this?” Parker asked. He sat back in the booth.

Zayn laughed before answering him. “I just need someone to talk to”.

“If that’s what you wanted, why have you been interrogating me since you met me?”

Zayn shrugged. “Honestly Parker, I don’t like to do this”.

Parker tilted his head in confusion. “Then stop doing it. If you think I’ve beaten the shit out of people, you’re on the right track. If you want to end up like them, keep being invasive and a dick”.

“But I just wonder sometimes, how it works. How you work”. Zayn said, staring at the man before him.

Parker furrowed his brows. “How I work?”

Zayn quickly recovered. “With her”.

“I still don’t see how any of it matters to you”.

Zayn sighed. “It matters, Parker, because I want to talk about things but she is your girlfriend”.

“About what things?”

“Anything. I need a friend”.

Parker breathed out slowly, beginning to understand now. “Gigi doesn’t care if I am friends with you, at least, I don’t think. And if you’ve needed someone to talk to, you could’ve just said so. You suppress your feelings and shit and you act like an idiot”.

“I’m sorry, I know. I’ve just never been the type to ask for help”.

“Well, now would be a good time to start. And without insulting people or questioning them”. Parker added.

Zayn nodded. “Sorry”.

“Stop apologizing. It’s fine. I understand. Too manly to ask for help, yeah yeah. I know, trust me”.

“You’ve gone through this as well?”

Parker nodded. “Yup”.

Zayn smirked. “It’s an Alpha male thing, I suppose”.

Parker laughed. “Yeah, I guess you could say that”.


	8. Chapter 8

Parker sat himself down on the couch beside Zayn, who had supplied the beer and the blunt. They’d been howling laughing since they arrived at Zayn’s apartment a few hours back. Luckily, Liam was gone for a few days for some press business so Zayn had the place to himself.

“How the fuck did you end up writing a contract for Kendall?” Zayn asked after he inhaled. He exhaled slowly, passing it to Parker, but Parker turned it down. Zayn shrugged and kept it for himself.

“I harassed her” Parker laughed, half meaning it. “I needed to get in!”

“Did you get it in?” Zayn asked laughing hard. He stared at Parker, who turned red.

“Yeah, quite a few times actually!” Parker was drunk, and Zayn was learning the kind of person he really was under the billionaire playboy façade.

“Was she any good? She looks good”. Zayn asked.

Parker nodded enthusiastically. “Fucking excellent”.

“Does Gigi know?”

Parker shook his head. “Not that I know of”.

The boys laughed at each other as they drank their beers and the television screen danced before them. Parker got up to get another beer, asking if Zayn cared for another before heading into the kitchen. Zayn looked and examined the man’s body. _He’s much more attractive when he’s sloshed_ , Zayn thought, admiring the man’s ass.

Parker sat down, this time with two bottles. He looked over at Zayn and shrugged. “What? I’ll down them quick!”

Zayn laughed as he took another hit. He was happy, he felt free. “Dude, take a hit”.

Parker shook his head. “I can’t. They’ll test me and I’ll get suspended”.

“You love to fight?”

Parker smiled cheekily. “Very much. It’s my passion”.

“Why don’t you fight for the UFC?” Zayn asked.

Parker stared at him before he burst out laughing.

Zayn smiled, knowing that he wasn’t laughing because it was funny. He was hurt.

“Fuck UFC”. Parker threw his head back, chugging the beer. Zayn admired his thick neck. It would be nice to wrap his hand around…

“Why? Aren’t you good enough?”

Parker laughed. “Yeah but I nearly killed someone and I got banned. So they won’t allow me to fight. I’m a danger to the other athletes”.

“What happened?”

Parker smiled. “If you’ve noticed, I have a bad temper. One day, I let my temper have at someone. I got sued a real fucking penny. And got banned from ever competing in UFC”.

“Why’d you hurt someone that bad?”

Parker sighed. He looked at Zayn and smiled. “Cause I’m human. I made a mistake. Thought I was bad and tough. I nearly snapped his neck in half. Busted his face up so nasty, it was hard to tell who he was”.

Zayn sighed. “Mate, what the hell?”

“We had bad blood. Instead of waiting to take it out during a regulated UFC fight, I did it at a bar”.

“So you got banned?”

“Yup!”

Zayn laughed. “You’re fucking mental, Parker”.

“I know”. He laughed. “I refused to get help. They say I need anger management therapy. I say fuck them!”

Zayn watched the man down another beer before getting up, this time stumbling a bit on his way to the fridge. He returned a few minutes later with three.

“It doesn’t bother you?” He asked as he sat down beside Zayn, closer to him than before.

“Nope. You’re human. We all fuck up”. He took another hit before exhaling into Parker’s face.

“Fuck you”.

Zayn grinned. “Gladly”.

“What?”

“I said sorry”, Zayn offered. He chuckled. “thanks for being a friend. I don’t have that”.

“Now you do” Parker said, raising his beer to Zayn. He thanked him for not judging his past before he proceeded. “To the alpha males”.

Zayn laughed and raised an unopen beer. “To the Alpha males!”

 

\---Z---

 

Parker felt someone nudging his shoulder as he took a minute to open his eyes. He rubbed the sleep from them as he sat up slowly, his mind now starting to wake up. He looked around him. Zayn was standing before him with aspirin and bottled water. He handed them to Parker before leaving him and entering his kitchen.

Parker took the pill and swallowed it, followed by downing some water. He closed the bottle and place it on the coffee table before him. He groaned and stretched, the sounds filling Zayn’s ears. He smiled, mostly to himself, at Parker’s groans.

“How much did we drink?”

Zayn laughed. “You drank like an Irishman”.

Parker rubbed his temples. “What time is it?”

“Two in the afternoon”.

“Aw fuck, I have to get into the office!”

Parker looked for his shoes and started slipping them on, balancing on one leg before he fell to the floor. Zayn laughed as he watched the man get back up and finish putting on his other shoe. He grabbed the bottled water Zayn had given him.

“I’ll see you, Zayn”.

“Later, Parker”.

Parker left the apartment building and quickly dug for his phone in his pocket. He noticed he had five missed calls. Two were from Gigi. The others from Jeff. He quickly called Jeff back as he walked quickly down the street.

“Parker! Where have you been?!” Jeff asked.

Parker was trying to steady his breathing. “I over slept”.

“Where, cause Gigi called me looking for you and I didn’t even know what to tell her”.

_Fuck_ , Parker thought. “I’m heading to the office now. Let me call you back”.

Parker hung up and called Gigi.

“Babe?”

“Gigi, sweetheart, I am so sorry!”

“Where have you been? You could have at least sent me a damn text!”

She was pissed.

“I went out with the guys I’m sorry”.

“What guys?”

“friends”

“But you don’t have many friends”. Gigi said dryly.

Parker paused. He was slightly insulted. “Anyway, tomorrow night, we are still on?”

“Yes, of course, unless you disappear again”.

“I won’t. I’ll see you tomorrow then”.

“Okay Parker”.

Right as he was putting his phone in his pocket, he received a message. He opened the screen and realized it was from Zayn.

**_Zayn: Thanks for hanging with me, Parker._ **

Parker smiled and quickly messaged him back.

**_Parker: Thanks for not judging. See you in a week_**.

Parker couldn’t stop smiling to himself as he headed down to the office. It was funny, because he had initially wanted to kill the guy. And now, he’s looking forward to the next guy’s night out with Zayn.


	9. Chapter 9

 

Zayn sat on his couch, lighting a cigarette as he watched his television, bored out of his mind. He had to play the waiting game for this whole thing to finally settle so he could start recording. He had finished writing his final song this morning. The door suddenly opened and Liam walked in, suitcase in hand. He closed the door behind him and dropped the heavy case beside him. He looked around and saw Zayn on the couch, smoking, not acknowledging that Liam had just arrived.

“Hello to you, too, Zayn” Liam grumbled as he walked over to where Zayn sat.

Zayn looked up, cigarette in his mouth. “Hey babe”.

Liam sat down beside his boyfriend, pouting. “You could have at least greeted me, Zayn”.

“Sorry, babe, I was zoned out for a moment there”. Zayn exhaled and kissed his boyfriend without eye contact. It was almost like it was more out of habit. “How was your trip?”

Liam sighed, reclining back into the couch. “It was tiring but the press went well”.

“Good” Zayn smiled. “How tired are you?”

Liam’s eyes widened, a smirk on his face. “Why do you ask?”

“Was wondering if you wanted to join me in some physical festivities later”. Zayn smirked, his eyes glued to the television when he saw that E was on, and he saw an extremely familiar face. There was Parker and Gigi, heading into The View in Malibu. He smiled to himself a bit, then he frowned.

“I’d never turn down anything physical with you, handsome”. He heard Liam say as a kiss was planted on his neck.

The paparazzi were annoying. He could see how frustrated Parker was, and he hoped he didn’t do anything stupid. He was in a nice light navy blue suit. He knew how to dress, he’d give him that. He looked dashing, and Zayn thought about what it would be like to claw that suit off of him.

“Zayn!” Liam said loudly.

Zayn turned his head and faced Liam, who had furrowed his brows. “What?”

“What are you so deep in thought about?”

“Nothing, sorry”.

“I’m going to go shower. Can you order food or something? Then we can catch a film and have some fun later”. Liam said as he kissed his boyfriend on his lips. Zayn kissed him back, but was bored and unimpressed. Liam left him on the couch and headed for the washroom.

Zayn wanted to hang out with Parker, but he was clearly out. He had the urge to text him and battled with himself before grabbing his phone and typing something up to send him.

**_Zayn: Hey Parker, just wanted to see if you were busy later. Maybe we can grab a few beers and talk a bit._ **

Zayn put his phone down on the table, looking back to the television screen. Kendall was now there and Zayn laughed as he remembered that Parker slept with her before committing to Gigi. He wasn’t as innocent as he portrayed himself to be. He took the remote and turned off the television. He looked out of the window, the sun about to set. He knew Parker got the best view in the house, and that he was probably sitting with Gigi right now, admiring her, she admiring the ocean view. Maybe he was going to propose? Zayn laughed and shook his head. Not a chance.

Zayn’s phone vibrated violently and he picked it up, surprised to see that Parker had replied.

**_Parker: I’m free around midnight. Gigi is leaving for Paris right after dinner. Your place?_ **

Zayn smiled to himself.

**_Zayn: Liam just got back. What about your place?_ **

Almost instantly, the message came in.

**_Parker: Sounds good. I’ll send you my address later. See ya then. –PC_ **

Zayn locked his phone and left it on the table. He stood up and went over to the washroom, knocking on the door. “Liam! I think you need rest. I’ll see you tomorrow”.

“What? Why?”

“I’m going to meet a friend for a beer. He says he needs some advice. I’ll see you later, babe”.

“Be safe, Zayn, please!” Liam hollered as Zayn quickly freshened himself up in his bedroom before grabbing his keys and walking out of the apartment. He figured he’d stop and buy some beer before arriving at Parker’s place.

 

\---Z---

 

Parker did his best to tidy up his apartment. He threw pillows around in an organized fashion and sprayed some Febreeze just in case. He normally stayed with Gigi, and he hadn’t been to his apartment in a week. A loud knock startled him and he went to open the door. Zayn smiled with a 12 pack in one hand and pizza in the other.

“I know you just had the most romantic dinner of all time, but I’m hungry and judging by your size, you’re gonna be hungry too”. Zayn said as he entered the apartment.

“I’m already hungry” Parker laughed as he closed the door behind him.

Zayn studied the apartment; it was neat and nicely decorated for a man’s house. He noticed some frames on the coffee table by the couch. Parker and Gigi. The perfect looking couple. Zayn subtly rolled his eyes as he made his way to where he assumed the kitchen was.

“Thanks for brining that”. Parker said as he grabbed the 12 pack from Zayn and shoved it in the fridge.

Zayn nodded with a smile. “Of course, mate. Nice place”.

“Thanks, I’m barely ever here but I try to keep it nice”.

Zayn imagined he stayed with Gigi most nights. He also imagined that Gigi gave him a good lay most nights. “I like it a lot”.

Parker took out two plates and set them down beside the pizza box. He grabbed two frosted glasses from his freezer and set them down on the counter, pouring beer into them. “How was Liam’s trip?”

Zayn nodded. “Good. He said it went well”.

“You haven’t talked to him?”

“Not really, just to ask how it went and that’s it”. Zayn laughed a bit. “I was zoned out when he got home and he got a bit snippy”.

“Same happens to me. When Gigi comes home, if I’m not excited, she gets upset”. Parker shook his head as he handed Zayn the cold mug of beer. “Cheers”.

Zayn smacked his glass against Parker’s and took a swig of the cold beer. The men spoke a bit as they ate, laughing here and there, sharing some stories before Zayn moved the conversation to the couches. He insisted on a movie, and Parker agreed.

“How about Fast and Furious?  The original, of course”.

Parker smiled. “I’m good with that”.

Zayn took the remote as if it was his own and worked the television until the film was on. The guys sat beside each other, beer in front of them along with some cupcakes that Parker had brought along. He had the worst sweet tooth of all time.

An hour into the movie, and Parker noticed that Zayn was completely engrossed in the film, as if it was the first time he had ever seen it. He was enjoying this side of Zayn. He felt like he was a completely different person, and he liked this. He liked this a lot. When he had received that text from him earlier, it had made him smile wide.

Zayn shifted and his arm slightly brushed against Parker’s leg. Zayn noticed, but he wondered if Parker noticed as well. He looked at him from the corner of his eye, but the dark haired man hadn’t flinched. He was focused on the cars on the screen. Zayn smiled somewhat to himself. He didn’t care if Parker was “straight” nor had a girlfriend. He always got what he wanted, and for the past few days, Zayn knew he wanted Parker.

He sneakily placed his arm behind Parker on the couch, but the fighter didn’t notice that either. Either way, he left it there. He’d notice eventually. He smiled at the prospect of the way Parker would react. It wouldn’t be in a good way but he didn’t care. He loved getting a rise out of him. He wanted to get other things to rise as well.

Parker leaned back and felt an arm. He looked over his shoulder and noticed Zayn’s arm, then his eyes darted toward Zayn, but Zayn’s eyes were focused on the television screen ahead of them. Parker cleared his throat loud enough to grab Zayn’s attention.

Zayn looked at the man beside him and smiled, turning back to the television, ignoring Parker’s confused facial expression.

“Zayn”, Parker began. He leaned forward, attempting to get the Brit’s attention. “What are you doing, dude?”

Zayn smiled and slowly looked at Parker. “Nothing, enjoying the film. What are you blabbering about?”

Parker shook his head. “Dude, your arm”.

Zayn laughed. “You’re a fucking homophobe, Parker?”

“No, of course not”.

“Then what’s the problem? I always have my arm resting on the back of the couch. Relax; you’re really not that handsome”. Zayn snickered. “Gigi’s always had terrible eye sight”.

Parker laughed and punched Zayn’s leg. “You’re an idiot”.

“You’ve never been with a man, Parker?” Zayn asked.

Parker felt hot. “No, I’m straight”.

Zayn motioned. “There’s no such thing as straight or gay. You’re either attracted to someone or not”.

“I happen to like boobs”. Parker added.

“And you’re dating Gigi?”

Parker couldn’t help but laugh at Zayn’s remark. “You really are an asshole, man”.

“Seriously, you’ve never had the urge?”

Parker shook his head. “Like I said, I’m straight. I’m attracted to women”.

“The way I look at it”, Zayn began, “Is that you’re attracted to a human being because he or she is a great human being. Not because she is a woman or he is a man. Who cares what they are, as long as they give a fuck about you”.

“Are you on drugs?” Parker asked, staring into Zayn’s eyes. He had never expected someone like Zayn to be saying something like that, but he let it sink in. He processed his words, his sincerity, and realized Zayn had a point.

“No. I firmly believe that. That’s why I have no problem going from man to woman or however you had so kindly put it”.

Parker looked back to the television screen, licking his lips. “Sorry”.

Zayn smiled, putting a hand on Parker’s thigh. “No worries, mate”.

Parker didn’t bother to remove Zayn’s hand or protest this. He just let it happen. He trusted that Zayn knew he was off limits, regardless of man or woman or whatever the hell Zayn believed in.


	10. Chapter 10

“So either you pay my client what he deserves, or buyout the contract and we will walk away from your company. It is your choice”. Parker said firmly, his suit nicely pressed, his eyes screaming confidence.

Zayn watched as his new friend verbally manhandled his old record label, ultimately resulting in the buyout that Parker had betted on. He, his manager, Parker and Jeff walked out of the meeting and headed down to the streets of Los Angeles, Parker immediately on the phone with Alpha Records in an attempt to speed things up for Zayn.

“Yes, he’s been released; I can send you the termination contract right away so we can get things moving along”. Parker watched as Jeff called for a driver. Zayn stood closest to Parker, who was completely focused.

“Absolutely”, he heard Parker say. “We’ll be there in about 20 minutes, give or take. Thank you”.

Parker turned to face Zayn, a huge smile on his lips. “We need to get to Alpha. They don’t want to wait any longer. They have an offer ready”.

Zayn wanted to hug him, real close and real tight, but he settled for a handshake, shooting Parker a smile. “You’re fucking brilliant!”

A black Cadillac SUV pulled up and the four of them climbed in, Jeff telling the driver to take them to Alpha Records. Zayn sat himself beside Parker, who was typing away on his phone, completely focused.

Zayn leaned into the man, whispering in his ear. “You’re fucking amazing”.

Parker didn’t remove his eyes from the screen, but he smiled, bigger than usual. The whisper had sent chills down his back unexpectedly. “Thanks”.

Zayn smiled to himself. He wasn’t sure what Parker was thinking. It’s hard to tell when he’s in business mode. “If this goes through, we’re getting drunk”.

Parker nodded in agreement, still focused on whatever it was that he was typing.

_And I’m fucking you senseless_ , Zayn thought as the vehicle approached a building that was Alpha Records. They all got out and headed inside, Parker leading the other three. He spoke to a receptionist, and they were ushered into a conference room where two gentleman and a woman sat, speaking among themselves.

Zayn sat down beside his manager and Jeff as he watched Parker introduce himself and everyone else. He smiled, excited to watch Parker do what he does best. He _fights_ hard.

“So this is why my client, Zayn Malik, will be the best decision you ever made”.

He was off to work.

 

 

\---Z---

 

“How the fuck did you even manage that?!” Zayn shouted excitedly at the back of the car.

Parker laughed. “Jeff told you I was the best. He never lies!”

They were the last stop. Parker’s office. They got down from the Cadillac SUV and headed inside with the new contract. Zayn followed Parker into the office, watching as the man put away the files in the cabinet and sit down at his desk, scribbling some notes on a legal pad. He gathered his car keys from a drawer before grabbing his brief case, making sure everything was off. It was 7 PM, so it had just been them two in the office.

“Come on, I’ll drop you off at home”, Parker told Zayn as he approached him.

Zayn shook his head. “No, we’re getting sloshed”.

“But we celebrated with lunch!”

“I wanna celebrate with you” Zayn said, studying Parker’s lips.

Parker stared into Zayn’s eyes and squinted. If he didn’t know any better, he’d say Zayn meant a different kind of celebration. “Where?”

“Dinner and then beers at home”. Zayn said.

Parker shook the notion from his head. “Works for me”.

The men headed down to the lot, where Parker’s car was, and the two headed to find some food. His car wasn’t great, but he had been desperately waiting for the big check before doing what he had been wanting to do.

“Zayn, mind if we make a quick stop?” Parker asked as he made a U-Turn.

Zayn was confused, but nodded his head. “Go for it”.

A few minutes later, and Zayn realized where they were going. He observed all the exotic cars in the lot as they turned into the dealer, admiring all of the beautiful machinery surrounding them. Parker pulled into an open spot and proceeded to shut the engine off. He climbed out, Zayn following suit.

“I’ve wanted this for so long. I’m finally gonna do it”. Parker smiled a toothy grin.

“Of course!”

“And who better to share this with than you?” Parker said as he led them in through the dealer doors.

It was quite luxurious, as it should be. The two men were approached by an older gentleman in a nicely fitted suit, silver long hair captivating attention.

“Good evening, gentleman. Welcome. IS there anything I can help you with?”

Parker smiled. Zayn hadn’t seen him so happy. He was like a kid in a toy store. “Yes, actually, I’d like to take a look at that black and red Pagani you’ve got out there”.

The gentleman chuckled. “We’ve been saving that for someone special. It is quite special”.

“I’m the guy you’ve been waiting for”. Parker assured the salesman.

“Follow me, sir”.

Parker and Zayn followed the silver haired gentleman out to the lot. They passed all sorts of exotics that would make any car fanatic drool. But Zayn noticed that Parker was unimpressed. That is, until they reached the famed black and red vehicle.

“Only one in the states like this”.

Zayn watched Parker circle slowly around the machine, his eyes looking over it as if he was seeing Gigi naked for the first time. _I don’t think she even had him this way_ , Zayn laughed to himself. Parker did another circle around the car before looking at the man.

“Can I see the inside, please?”

The man unlocked the vehicle, and Parker opened the driver’s side door slowly, taking it all in. He analyzed the dashboard, then the black leather seats with red stitching, then the steering wheel, then poked his head back out.

“Are you two planning on having kids any time soon?” The silver haired man asked, stepping closer to them.

“No”, Parker responded.

Zayn wasn’t sure if Parker had realized that the man was referring to them as a couple.

“No kids for a long time”. Parker said. He then looked to the man. “I’m ready to sign the paperwork”.

The silver haired man smiled and led Parker and Zayn into his office. He made a few calls, gave Parker the price, and asked, “Cash or check?”

Parker smiled as he took out an envelope. Zayn wondered when the hell he managed to take money from the bank, or if he was always walking around that loaded. Parker gave the envelope to the silver haired man with a triumphant smile.

The salesman opened the envelope and grinned. He extended his hand to Parker, and Parker shook it.

“I’ll be right back”.

Parker sat excitedly, looking around. “This is actually happening”.

Zayn laughed. He loved how _cute_ Parker looked when he was excited. “You’ve been eyeing this car for a while?”

“For a few years”.

“It was meant to be”.

Parker smiled. “The universe doesn’t fuck with things that are meant to be”.

The silver haired man came back with keys and a title. He handed them to Parker, who stood up to receive them.

“For you and the Mr. Hope you enjoy the vehicle”.

 

\---Z---

 

“Car of my dreams!” Parker yelled into his apartment, locking the door behind them.

Zayn laughed. “It felt like you were going 100 out there!”

“Fuck yeah. That car is amazing!” Parker sat down on the couch, smiling up to the ceiling. “Thank you so much!’

“I didn’t do anything”, Zayn said, taking a seat beside Parker and handing him a beer.

They already had gone and grabbed dinner. Now it was time for beer and shit shooting until they passed out, like every time they hung out.

“Without you, this wouldn’t have been possible”.

Zayn smiled. “You got me the 8 million. Which completely surpassed your goal, by the way”.

“we did it!” Parker said. “we got it done. And now I own a motherfucking Pagani!”

Zayn watched Parker down his beer, his smile never once leaving his face. Parker turned and faced Zayn, the smile growing bigger. Zayn swallowed, suddenly nervous. He had never gotten nervous. But something felt like rocks hitting his stomach, and it was extremely unfamiliar to him. Parker’s eyes were glowing, and it felt like they were digging holes into Zayn’s soul. Zayn mentally shook his head, attempting to calm his nerves. _This is the perfect time_ , he thought. He moved closer to Parker, who didn’t seem to mind the closeness of the men anymore. He put his hand on Parker’s thigh, just to test the waters.

“Zayn”, Parker said.

_Fuck,_ Zayn thought. “Yeah?”

“We make a good team”.

Zayn smiled. “Yeah, I agree, mate”.

Parker finished the beer and set it down on the table before them. He sat back into the cushions, his eyes closing momentarily as his smile stayed permanently.

“Want me to get you another beer?” Zayn asked, his hand moving slightly upward on the other man’s thigh.

Parker nodded with the same smile. “Please”.

Zayn got up and went over to the fridge, grabbing a few beers. He hoped he could get him tipsy enough to loosen him up. He sat back down beside him, handing him the cold beer.

“Thanks, Zayn. I bet you’re a good boyfriend”.

Zayn’s eyes widened. “What makes you say that?”

Parker shrugged. “You’re always making sure I’m fed and drunk”.

The men both laughed before quieting down. Zayn examined Parker, who had his head thrown back on the cushion, eyes closed, smile still on his lips.

_This is it_ , he thought.

Zayn closed the space between them, placed his hand on Parker’s chest and planting a kiss on the man’s cheek before pulling back to watch his reaction.

“Zayn,” Parker said, sitting up, eyes wide. “Zayn, come on”.

Zayn stood up and apologized and hurried into the kitchen, trying to ignore the hurt feelings he felt. He hadn’t felt like this before. He reached for a glass when he felt arms wrap around his waist.

“If you’re gonna kiss me”, he heard Parker say, turning him around to face him. “Be a fucking man about it”.

Zayn felt Parker’s lips crash into his as the fighter picked Zayn up and set him on the kitchen counter, Zayn’s legs wrapping around him. The breathing was uneven and their chests were heaving. Zayn was unsure what took over the man, but he didn’t question it. After a few moments, Parker pulled away, remaining in the same position.

Parker looked down, then back up. “I don’t know what the hell just happened”.

Zayn smirked. He’s in denial. “You came after me”.

“Maybe I’m just lonely without Gigi”. Parker tried to come up with an excuse. That’s what he had been doing since he and Zayn had grown closer. Something had sparked between them, but Parker did an amazing job at fighting it, as he did with everything. Fight it all. “Maybe you should go, Zayn”.

Zayn furrowed his brows, confused. “What? Why?”

“Cause this isn’t right. You’re my friend, and that’s it”. Parker said, walking away from him. “I trust you know where the door is”.

Zayn jumped off the kitchen counter and followed Parker to the couch. “You came after me!"

“You provoked me!” Parker yelled. He was getting annoyed and frustrated.

Zayn took a step back. “If you didn’t want this, too, then you would have told me so, not come after me and tell me to kiss you like a man”.

“Get out. Now”. Parker started picking up the empty beer bottles all over the place when Zayn grabbed his hand.

“Parker” he whispered.

Parker retracted his hand quickly and shook his head. “Leave”.

Zayn grabbed his coat, glaring at the man before he walked out of the apartment, quickly fumbling for a cigarette and his lighter. _Fuck him_ , he thought as he walked his way down the street before hailing a cab and heading home.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beginning of this chapter--Parker/Gigi in Italics, Zayn/Liam non-Italics.  
> This is happening at the same time, two different locations.   
> Then back to normal narrating.  
> Peace :)

_Parker buried his face in the crook of Gigi’s neck, kissing her aggressively as his hands made themselves useful, gripping tightly to her waist as he felt her hands scattering between his hair and his neck. He planted a trail of rough kisses down her neck and collarbone, his hands crawling up her stomach and stopping when he reached her breasts. He kissed her lips now, her tongue asking for permission to enter. He granted access as he grabbed her breast in one hand, a moan escaping her lips._

“Zayn” Liam moaned into the mans’ ear as he felt his boyfriend lay kisses into his chest. His hands scratched at Zayn’s back softly, sending goosebumps up and down his body. Zayn continued to kiss down from Liam’s chest, sometimes sending his tongue across the man’s skin, until he reach his waist. Zayn strategically planted a row of kisses along the waistband of his boxers, feeling Liam grow hard against him. Zayn didn’t smile, he was unimpressed. He just wanted to _fuck_ , and that’s it. He grabbed his boyfriend’s member through his boxer’s, earning a groan from Liam. He tugged down the waist band and began to work.

_“Parker”, Gigi struggled to say as her boyfriend entered, his body only a few centimeters above her. He looked her in the eyes before he began thrusting himself into her, leaning in closer to kiss her lips, biting her bottom lip. He felt her hands scratching his back, the harder he went, the harder she’d scratch. Moans left her mouth as he sped himself up, pushing harder into her. She placed one hand on the back of his head to break any space between them. “Fuck, Parker”._

“Liam, I’m gonna come now!” Zayn grumbled as he thrusted in and out sloppily, holding his boyfriend on either side of his waist. He took a few more thrusts before he felt himself climax, letting out a loud moan as he slowed down his movement, finishing before pulled out and laid down beside his sweaty boyfriend. Liam moved himself closer, laying his head on Zayn’s heaving chest. He gave his man gentle kisses to his chest, Zayns’ arms wrapping around his waist. “I love you, Zayn”. “I love you too, Li”.

_Gigi had come for Parker, and he wouldn’t stop until he got his. He was very close, Gigi could tell by his horrible breathing pattern and the way he was holding her. He was getting very sloppy. She scratched his chest and moved to his shoulders, clawing him and whispering encouraging words as she felt his roughness. “Gigi” he groaned into her neck as he felt his release. Parker put his body weight on her for a moment as he finished into her, his eyes closed shut as the woman tugged lightly at his hair, scratching his shoulders gently as she felt him come inside of her. He mentally told her he loved her, but his lips were closed tight as he hummed her name again, resting his face against her warm neck._

 

\---Z---

 

Parker hung up the phone, the echo whispered throughout his office. He immediately took to his computer to compose an email when he heard a faint knock on his door. He didn’t part his eyes from his screen, he just waved for the person to come in. He heard footsteps coming toward him, but he was completely engrossed in the email.

“Hey baby”, He heard Gigi say into his ear, her hands on his broad shoulders.

He looked up to her and kissed her lips. “Hey sweetheart, what’s up?”

She smiled and gave his shoulders a light squeeze. “Nothing, was in the neighborhood for my shoot and decided to come by before I head back”.

“When will you be done?”

“It’s going to be a late one, babe”. Gigi kissed his cheek.

He touched the small of her back, admiring her how gorgeous she looked. “Shame”.

“You have me very tired, Mr. Cruz”. She gave him a smirk and bit her bottom lip gently.

He couldn’t help but smile, feeling himself get hot. “I find that I’ve been sleeping a lot better due to our recent midnight workout routine”.

She leaned into him and kissed him, this time a little rougher than before. He let his hands navigate themselves, feeling her waist, then her back, and finally grabbing a handful of her ass. He bit her bottom lip before she pulled away slowly, grabbing a hold of his tie.

Parker jumped when his phone rang, causing Gigi to laugh at him. He gave her a smile and shook his head as he grabbed his phone.

“This is Parker”, he said.

“Parker, this is Matthew from Alpha Records, I need you to come down here and sign the final paperwork with Zayn. We don’t want to wait any longer to get him recording”.

Parker moved his phone away from his mouth before letting out a quiet sigh. Gigi looked at him quizzically before he returned the phone to his mouth. “I’ll be there as soon as I can”.

Parker disconnected the call and set the phone down on the desk, rising out of his chair while buttoning up his suit jacket. “I gotta finish some paperwork for Zayn”.

“I thought you were done with his deal?” Gigi asked, confused. “Which is why you bought a 1,400,000 dollar car?”

“Oh, baby, this is not about the money. It’s just some documents that allow for press release and bullshit like that”. Parker grabbed his brief case with one hand and with the other, grabbed Gigi’s hand. “Come on, I’ll walk you down”.

After he bid his lady a good afternoon, he climbed into his car and turned on the ignition. He loved to hear it roar. He sat back in his seat for a minute, thinking things over. He hadn’t seen or spoken to Zayn in two weeks. Parker let out a frustrated sigh, not knowing how to handle anything with Zayn at this point. After a few seconds, he decided he would go in there and be cordial, get things taken care of, and leave.

But the truth was, Parker couldn’t get him out of his head. Sometimes he wanted to see him, and hang out with him, while other times, he wanted to punch him in his face. He was a mix of emotions and he was afraid of what he really felt, so he shut them down. He arrived to the studio, where he was met by Matthew and led to where Zayn was, sitting a conference table, headphones covering his ears. Parker noticed he was scribbling something on a notepad. He wasn’t sure if he should greet him or ignore him.

Matthew stood across from Zayn, catching the Brit’s attention, causing him to look up and then to his left, where Parker stood, unbuttoning the bottom of his suit jacket. He took a seat beside the singer, turning to him and giving him a slight nod. Zayn smirked subtly, nodding the same way Parker had.

“Here are the documents. Press coverage, release, dates and all that jazz. Look it over, I’ll be right back”. Matthew said as he left the two men in the room. Parker took the papers and began reviewing them closely, tapping his foot. He was actually nervous. Not because of the documents or the deals. He was nervous because of Zayn.

After a few minutes, he handed the papers over to Zayn. “Look over it. Make sure it’s how you want things done and all that”.

“Isn’t that your job?”

“Yes, and I did. But I’m being courteous in allowing you to make sure this is what YOU want”.

“Courteous?” Zayn laughed.

“Don’t mix your personal feelings into this, Zayn”. Parker said, his body stiffening.

Zayn laughed again, this time flipping through the documents before handing them back over. “Sign it so I can get going”.

“You have to sign it too, genius”. Parker said as he took a pen from his breast pocket and started signing the papers.

Zayn smirked as he grabbed the papers from his attorney and began signing it himself. He gave Parker his pen back and looked at him. “You can leave now”.

“I have to wait for Matthew”. Parker said, sitting back in his seat. “Don’t worry, after today, we’re done”.

“Is that a promise?” Zayn asked with furrowed brows.

“Absolutely”.


	12. Chapter 12

Zayn exhaled, smoke blowing from his mouth as he opened it into a perfect circle. Liam was fast asleep on the couch beside him, the television on. It was two in the morning, and he couldn’t sleep, so he figured he’d light it up a while and try to sleep again.

He had already started recording, and he was so grateful for that. It gave him something to do to get his mind off of Parker, even though Parker was the reason he was recording in the first place. It had been a month now since they had last spoken. He had never been rejected like that, and although initially Zayn was just looking for ass, he realized he was much more attracted to Parker than he wanted to be.

Zayn got up from his couch and looked out of the huge window. The Los Angeles evening was still young. He fought with himself mightily on whether or not to text him. A part of him wanted to. No, a part of him _needed_ to. But after the bullshit Parker pulled, he wasn’t sure if it was worth it. What began as just a pursuit of sex turned into wanting more and Zayn knew he shouldn’t. But he wanted to. He wanted Parker.

He turned back, examining Liam. _Liam_. He was a good man, and Zayn knew if he blew things with Liam, it would never be the same. But Zayn wasn’t craving Liam the way he was craving Parker. He took another hit before sitting back down on the couch, already feeling the effects of the plant. _He kissed me_ , Zayn thought with a smile. He took out his phone and began typing a message.

**_Zayn: I can’t sleep_ **

He wasn’t sure if he’d get an answer, but he sent it anyway.

**_Parker: Me neither_ **

Zayn smiled.

**_Zayn: Can I come over?_ **

**_Parker: Only if you bring beer_ **

Zayn grabbed his jacket and his keys as he headed out of his apartment, leaving a sleeping Liam behind without a note or explanation.

 

\---Z---

 

Parker had already downed about five beers before Zayn arrived. He felt nervous, like high school crush nervous. _What the fuck?_ He thought to himself. Gigi was gone to Europe again, this time with Kendall. A knock sounded at his door, and Parker put his beer bottle down before he went and opened it.

“Hey” Zayn whispered, 12 pack in hand. “Your favorite”.

Parker couldn’t help but smile. “Thanks”.

He allowed Zayn into his apartment, following him to the kitchen, where Zayn stored the beer. He took one out and opened it up, handing it to Parker.

“Thanks, Zayn”, he said, taking a swig. He set it down on the counter behind him, watching as Zayn pulled out a blunt and lit it, taking a hit.

“Yeah”, Zayn answered, not looking at him. “Why’d you even answer me?”

Parker shrugged. “I don’t…know”.

Zayn smirked. “You suck, Parker”.

Parker sighed as he downed some more of the cold amber liquid. He didn’t even know how to answer Zayn.

“Do you believe in God?” Zayn asked, taking a seat at the counter.

Parker furrowed his brows. “No”.

Zayn laughed. “What the hell do you believe in?”

Parker sighed. “What are you doing?”

“Having a conversation with my best friend”.

Parker furrowed his brows. ”I’m your best friend?”

“Sadly, yes”. Zayn whispered, smoke escaping his lips.

Parker laughed. “Wow, you hit rock bottom”.

“Unfortunately”.

“I believe in the universe. No god or prophet”.

“You’re a fucking weirdo”. Zayn laughed as he stepped closer to Parker. His hands were shaking.

“Yeah, I get that a lot”. Parker said, finishing his beer and tossing it in the nearby trash, nearly missing. “I’m certainly not a hoop star”.

Zayn made a punching motion with a closed fist. “Stick to hurting people. You’re good at that”.

Parker frowned. “I’m sorry”.

Zayn shrugged. “You’re an asshole”.

“I know”. Parker said.

“You fucked me up, Parker. You came after me and told me to-“

“I know!” Parker was in Zayn’s face now. “Zayn, how many times do you want me to fucking say sorry?!”

“As many times as I need to hear it!” Zayn yelled back, his fists clenched.

“Get the fuck over it, Zayn! I messed up, move on! You’ve got a good man who loves you. I promise I am not worth losing him”. Parker said, his volume coming down.

Zayn could see the sincerity in Parker’s eyes, and for the first time, he caught a glimpse of a vulnerable Parker. “Why don’t you let me decide that for myself?”

Zayn felt his heart beat increase as he felt Parker’s beer lined breath on his skin. He loved it. Zayn grabbed Parker’s hand and pulled him closer, and much to his surprise, Parker let him. Zayn closed the gap between them and pressed his lips against Parker’s, expecting the fighter to push him back. Instead, the fighter leaned into his kiss, biting Zayn’s bottom lip before wrapping his strong arms around his waist.

“Parker”, Zayn said in between kisses.

“Hmm” Parker hummed, still kissing him.

Zayn pulled away for a minute, examining the fighter. “You’re not gonna freak out and make me leave, right?”

Parker shook his head. “No, not this time”.

“Good, cause I’m expecting the best fuck I’ve ever had”, Zayn said before kissing the man’s lips again. Parker smiled into Zayn’s lips. He led Zayn up to his bedroom, where he hadn’t slept at in what felt like months. Zayn immediately reconnected their lips, reaching for Parker’s shirt, pulling it off of the fighter. Zayn brought his hands to the man’s chest, admiring and feeling every cut, every inch of skin. Zayn kissed his chest then dragged his tongue across the man’s nipple, earning a groan from Parker, who then helped Zayn take off his shirt.

They moved closer to the bed, stripping each other of the remains of their clothes. Zayn pushed Parker back and climbed on top of him, kissing his mouth, pushing his tongue without even being granted permission. He wanted him. _All of him_. His hands scratched at the man’s bare chest, before pulling away and leading a trail of kissing down his neck and collarbone, licking his chest before continuing down to his waistline.

Parker let a moan slip out of his mouth when he felt Zayn take him in his mouth, his hands grabbing at the bed sheets as Zayn did his work. His eyes rolled back the deeper Zayn took him. Parker hadn’t gotten this sort of job before, and he was having a hard time trying to control his breathing.

Zayn took him in his hand as he climbed up on top of Parker, crashing his lips into his as he felt Parker wrap his arm around his waist, grinning in between kisses as Parker took control and rolled on top of Zayn, his body only a few centimeters above him. Zayn wrapped his legs around Parker’s waist, pulling him in closer, his hands in the fighter’s messy hair. He hadn’t typically let anyone dominate him, but he’d let Parker do what he wanted to him.

Parker had himself propped up on one elbow; the other arm was used to touch Zayn in all the right places. He kissed Zayn’s neck, sucking lightly at his skin, earning moans and groans from him. This would make him smile; notifying him that he was doing something right. He moved down to his collarbone, leaving his artwork behind as Parker moved back to Zayn’s mouth.

“Parker” Zayn grumbled.

Parker looked him dead in the eyes, his breathing uneven. “Hmm?”

Zayn’s eyes rolled back when he felt Parker’s hand wrap around his member. “Fuck me already”.

Parker let out a soft chuckle as he leaned back and was erect on his knees, in between Zayn’s legs. He moved them back so he could access his hole. He had never done this before, but it was almost instinctual for him to spread Zayn’s legs and move himself close to him. He let Zayn’s legs rest on his shoulders before using his hand to guide him inside of Zayn. He had only entered his tip, and that was enough for Zayn to let out a huge gasp, Parker watching as his eyes roll back and his back arched. He figured this was the first time Zayn had let anyone do this to him. He pushed in softly, just his tip, in and out, watching Zayn’s tattooed body react to him. Parker had to admit it, this felt amazing. Zayn was unbelievably tight, and the way he was reacting to his touch was sexy.

Parker leaned into Zayn, his hands at Zayn’s side as he decided it was time to go in deeper. Zayn grabbed the sheets in handfuls every time Parker went in, biting his bottom lip. Parker picked up the speed, his balls smacking against Zayn’s ass. Parker let out groans and grunts, reacting to the tightness Zayn provided. He had to control his breathing and his aggression. Parker’s adrenaline was rushing, and had didn’t want to be too rough with Zayn. Not yet, anyway. He watched Zayn’s knuckles turn white from the handful of sheets, and Parker grabbed his hand, intertwining their fingers as Zayn opened his eyes, giving Parker a soft smile as he bit his lip. They didn’t have to say anything to each other. They both knew what that gesture meant.

“Parker” Zayn moaned as he stroked himself to Parker’s actions. He was getting close, the in and out of Parker’s dick only heightening the pleasure. “I’m go-nna come, Par-ker”.

Parker’s lips curled into a smirk. He held Zayn’s hand tighter as he pushed harder and faster into him, the bed beneath them shaking violently. He watched Zayn’s face as he reached his climax, watching as he sloppily stroked himself and the white started shooting out of his tip, sending hot rushes all over Parker. Zayn’s moans were loud, but Parker didn’t stop. He went harder, his hand now to Zayn’s neck, giving it a slight squeeze.   


“Fuck, Parker, you’re an animal!” Zayn said as he felt the man getting more and more violent. He loved it, but it hurt so fucking much.

Parker leaned into his ear, teeth gritted. “I’m gonna come”.

Zayn felt hot, knowing he was the reason that this man was about to blow his load. He had hoped Parker wouldn’t pull out, but rather, would let himself finish inside of him. He wanted to feel him release in his ass, he wanted to feel how much he could let go.

Parker threw his head back as he kept thrusting in and out, sloppy now, but harder and deeper than before. Zayn scratched at the man’s chest and abs, then grabbed onto his waist as he heard Parker moan really loud. Zayn couldn’t help but smirk as he watched him hit his climax.

“Fuck!” Parker yelled as he leaned in and buried his face in the crook of Zayn’s neck, finishing himself inside of the other man. His breathing was heavy, almost staggering. His eyes rolled back before his lids closed shut, his head thrown back as his body gave up, his weight becoming too much, the pleasure unparalleled to anything he had ever experienced before. He heard the other man groan again, letting him know he was pleased. He kept his eyes shut, a smile forming from his wet lips. The other man smiled down to him, planting a kiss on his cheek before lazily throwing himself beside him on the bed, letting out a huge sigh.

_Finally._

\---Z---

 

“Zayn”, the other man said.

Zayn opened his eyes, looking over at the naked man beside him. His hair was disheveled, his eyes glossy. “Yes, Parker?

He let out a laugh before answering him, his eyes darting toward the ceiling. “If someone told me, a year ago, that I’d be here under these circumstances with you, I’d laugh”.

Zayn giggled, turning onto his side to face Parker, who continued to look at the ceiling. _What a fucking handsome bloke_ , he thought as he smiled. “Same goes for you”.

Parker sighed, putting his hands behind his head, smiling upward. “What’ll Liam think?”

“Shit, what’ll Gigi think?” Zayn laughed, reaching his hand over to rub the man’s chest.

Parker’s eyes widened. “She’s probably going to kill us both”.

Zayn tapped his fingers in a cadence on Parker’s chest, his eyes glued to his tan skin, analyzing the goosebumps that arose every time the tip of his finger met his body. “She doesn’t have to know”.

Parker sighed. He wasn’t that kind. Well, looks like he was now. “We’ll figure it out later”. He moved himself closer to Zayn, snaking an arm around the man’s waist before pulling him on top of him. Zayn let out a small laugh as he found himself sitting on top of Parker, who ran a hand up and town Zayn’s abdomen.

“I can be like this forever”, the Brit told him, looking down, his eyes smiling for his lips to match. He placed his hands on either of Parker’s pecks, admiring the muscle.

Parker smiled at the man, sitting up, pulling Zayn closer to him. “It could work”.

Zayn shook his head. “Not here”.

“What’s wrong with my apartment?” Parker asked jokingly.

“Shut up, mate. It’s not the apartment”. Zayn sighed, looking somewhat serious. “I’d get shit from the media. You could lose your job. It just won’t work”.

“Media? Your fans won’t give a shit. Some of them would love this, actually. And if you’ve forgotten, Mr. Malik, I run my own agency. I may lose some clients, yeah. But not all of them”. Parker smiled, caressing the other man’s cheek.

Zayn planted a soft kiss on Parker’s lips. “How can you be so calm?”

Parker shrugged and laughed. “Cause I stopped caring about what people think of me a long time ago”.

“We’ll see how you feel when you see Gigi again, yeah?” Zayn said, somewhat serious, before climbing off of Parker and off the bed.

“What does that mean?”

Zayn found his boxers and slipped them on, looking for his box of cigarettes and his lighter. “You love her”.

Parker looked down at his hands, then back to Zayn. “And you love Liam”.

Zayn laughed, lighting the cigarette that was now in his mouth. “I’ll leave Liam for you. I don’t give a fuck. But you won’t leave Gigi. I see the way you look at her, babe. I get it. I loved her once, too”.

“But you left her”. Parker climbed out of bed, proceeding to pull on his shorts.

“I wasn’t as in love as you are. Besides, I had already been involved with Liam. For years”. Smoke left Zayn’s mouth as his words were spoken. “This is the first time we gave it a go”.

“And I guess it’ll be the last”. Parker’s face was now centimeters away from Zayn’s, his eyes glazed.

Zayn shrugged. “If that’s what you want, yeah”.

“Don’t you give a shit about people, Zayn? How could you cheat on Liam, and not even give a shit about me?”

Zayn looked up to him, kissing Parkers chest. “I do care. But you care more. Which is why I know this would never work out, babe”.

“What does that even mean? Quit trying to be a bad boy here, Zayn”.

“What I mean, is that you care too much for Gigi, and now starting to care for me as more than your best lad. You can’t fuck me right while thinking of her. And now when you go back to her, you won’t be able to fuck her right while thinking of me”. Zayn smiled when he kissed Parker’s neck, sort of enjoying the way he was affecting the shorter man’s mind. “Unless we leave”.

“You’re so fucking confusing, Zayn”. Parker laughed.

Zayn moved away from him, the cigarette back in his mouth.

“You need to drop that. It’s so bad for you”. Parker said, looking for a shirt.

“Coming from the guy who likes to get punched for fun”. Zayn looked over his shoulder, watching the man pull over a shirt, covering up what Zayn loved to look at.

Parker laughed. “I enjoy MMA, it’s a great workout”.

“Good thing it’s not your career”.

“When you’re done talking shit, come with me to find some food”.

Zayn laughed and followed the man out of the room, hungry for more than food.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final half of the chapter is the same as the prologue. You may skip if you wish.  
> I just wanted to close the chapter with it because this was how it went down.  
> Anyway, thanks for reading.  
> Much peace!


	13. Chapter 13

 

Zayn watched as Parker wolfed down a black bean burger, the sauces dripping from the bun down onto his plate. He was happy that Parker was the one who initiated post-sex food hunting. He bit down on his own sandwich, the juices and flavors filling his mouth.

“These burgers are the best in town”, Zayn said, eyeing his mate.

“I’m glad they had a vegetarian option!” Parker said in between bites.

Zayn laughed and shook his head. “You really are mental, Parker! How do you not eat meat?”

Parker smiled with a full mouth, shrugging his shoulders. “I don’t believe in killing animals”.

Zayn smiled to himself, acknowledging the cuteness before him. “What the hell do you believe in, then?”

“I believe that the universe doesn’t fuck with things that are meant to be”. Parker said before shoving fries down his mouth, throwing his head back slightly, eyes closing as the salty starch hit his tongue.

Zayn nodded, studying Parker. He had said that to him when they went to that fancy dealership where Parker dropped millions for a car. He wondered what he meant by that, secretly hoping he was referring to the two of them. He shook his head mentally at the thought, because he knew better. He knew Parker was going to go back to Gigi and drop Zayn like he was just an annoying habit.

Zayn felt a vibration come from his pocket, so he reached in and grabbed his phone, unlocking its glass screen to see a message from Liam.

**_Liam: Zayn where the hell r u?_ **

Zayn knew this was wrong, but at the same time, nothing has ever felt so incredibly right. He looked to Parker, who had finished everything that was on his plate. He was sipping on his sweet tea, which Zayn didn’t quite understand how he drank that.

“What’s wrong?” Parker asked, straw still in his mouth.

Zayn shook his head with a bright smile. “Nothing is wrong. Everything is actually good”.

Parker smiled and stood up quickly before taking a seat besides Zayn in the booth, the one all the way to the back where no one could see just how Parker liked it.

Zayn’s lips curved into a surprised smile as he felt Parker right beside him, his arm around his shoulder.

“Are you alright?” Zayn asked the man, who was digging into Zayn’s fries.

“Mhm” he nodded as he shoved more fries into his mouth. “These are delicious”.

“Did you come by me to eat my food or to actually be beside me?” Zayn asked, eyebrows furrowed.

Parker laughed. “Both”.

Zayn shook his head as another vibration surged through his phone. He had forgotten to answer Liam.

**_Liam: Zayn r u okay? I’m worried about you, babe. Please answer me._ **

**_Zayn: Sorry, with my buddies. I’ll be home eventually._ **

Zayn sent the message and shoved the phone in his pocket. He finished his burger, fighting with Parker for the rest of his fries. Zayn noticed that they were the only ones here. Well, normal human beings weren’t eating burgers at four in the morning.

“Ready to go?” Parker asked as he finished signing his receipts. He covered both of their meals.

“Yes, of course” Zayn answered, following Parker out of the booth.

They walked out of the burger joint and to Parker’s car. Parker unlocked the doors and the men filed inside, closing the doors and fastening their seat belts.

“Want me to take you home?” Parker asked, starting the ignition, the engine rumbling.

Zayn sighed. “Not really”.

“Want to stay the night?” Parker asked.

Zayn smiled, surprised that he even offered. “I’d love to”.

Parker leaned in and kissed Zayn’s wet lips, taking the other man by surprise. Zayn bit Parker’s bottom lip before pulling away slowly.

“To my place we go”. Parker said as he focused himself on driving home, his hand on Zayn’s thigh.

 

\---Z---

 

Parker finished buttoning up his dress shirt, tucking it in as he moved his way about his bedroom, making sure to be quiet as to not wake Zayn up. He pulled his belt through the waistline loops, fastening it as he searched for his shoes with his eyes. He walked to his closet and found the brown shoes, balancing himself as he put them on. He grabbed a tie from his closet and began to tie it around his neck when he felt lips on the back of his neck.

“Don’t leave” Zayn’s raspy voice filled his ears.

Parker smiled. “I can’t miss this meeting. But I’ll be back as soon as it’s over”.

Zayn pouted, his lips still connected to Parker’s neck. “Promise?”

Parker turned around to face him, kissing his lips. “I promise”.

Zayn laid back down on Parker’s bed, covering himself up with the throw blanket. He watched Parker as combed his hair and grabbed his suit jacket from the closet.

“Help yourself to anything you want. I’ll see you in a few hours”. Parker smiled as he left the bedroom, leaving Zayn all to himself.

Zayn heard Parker walk out of the front door and lock it. A few moments later, he heard the roaring of Parker’s beloved car. He smiled to himself as he laid back and sighed, the smile never leaving his face. He could smell Parker’s scent in the bedsheets in which he lay, already missing being with the man. He felt himself drifting off to sleep, thoughts of Parker and the past few nights circling around through his mind. He hadn’t seen Liam, and he hadn’t asked Parker if he had been in touch with Gigi. He hoped that he hadn’t. He hoped that Gigi was no longer on his mind. He wanted to be on his mind. He hadn’t felt this way before. His anxiety was low, he was less lonely, and he felt cared for. Parker had an odd way of showing things, but there were certain questions the fighter asked that made Zayn well aware that Parker cares for him.

After a few hours, Zayn woke up, rubbing his eyelids to remove the sleep that was lingering. He checked his phone. It was four in the afternoon. He stood up from the bed, slowly, ignoring the fact that Liam had called him five times. He pulled over Parker’s LA Lakers hoodie, his scent still lingering in the cotton. He found himself in the bathroom, realizing he didn’t have a toothbrush. He grabbed the toothpaste and just poured some in his mouth. After he gargled, his spat and rinsed his mouth, heading out of the bathroom and downstairs, where there was no sign of Parker. He assumed the meeting went later than planned.

He shuffled through the pantry, finding cereal, cookies, pancake mix, beans, and rice. He wanted none of that. He went over to the fridge. Beer, almond milk, some vegan powder that Zayn didn’t even consider, and left over eggplant parmesan. He sighed as he closed the door and sat himself down at the couch. He would just wait for Parker and hopefully they’d grab food somewhere. He grabbed the remote from the television and powered on the screen, ESPN automatically on. Zayn rolled his eyes and flipped through the channels until he found a horror flick. He left it on that and concentrated.

His phone vibrated on the coffee table before him. He took a look. It was Parker, so he grabbed it and picked it up.

“Hey, love” Zayn answered.

“Zayn, are you still at my place?”  Parker asked. He sounded anxious.

“Yeah, why?”

“I hate to do this to you, but you need to go.”

Zayn furrowed his brows. “What?”

“Gigi said she was going to meet me there in an hour. Please, just go. I’ll call you when she leaves”. Parker said.

Zayn shook his head. “Alright”.

“Zayn, I promise I’ll call”.

Zayn nodded. “Okay”.

Zayn hung up and quickly turned off the television, running up the stairs to grab his shoes and his pants. Two minutes later, he was out of the apartment and walking down the street, lighting up a cigarette as he made his way to his own apartment on foot. He wasn’t mad at Parker, but he was slightly annoyed. He realized that he had mixed his reality with actual reality. Parker was still Gigi’s, and Parker didn’t show signs of changing that.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sort of fluff, somewhat smut.  
> Peace!

 

“It’s going to be a great show, Babe, I’m excited!” Gigi squealed as she took out a beer for her boyfriend and a bottle of wine for herself. She grabbed two glasses and poured each liquid into them, handing the amber drink to Parker and taking the wine to her lips.

“I’m excited for you, sweetheart”. Parker smiled as he took a swig of his cold drink. He set it down on the counter, watching as she moved into her food closet and brought out a box of pasta and some sauces.

“I’m cooking for you”. She said as she grabbed a pot and put some water in it, taking it to the stove and turning on the heat. “I feel like if I don’t feed you, you don’t eat”.

Parker laughed. “Why do you say that?”

Gigi rolled her eyes. “Have you checked the inventory of your fridge?”

Parker walked over and stood behind his girlfriend, grabbing a hold of her waist and planting a soft kiss on her neck. “No. Is it bad?”

Gigi giggled. “Beer and some leftover Italian food from 300 years ago is not okay, babe. Not okay”.

He laughed, his lips still pressed to her neck. “What would I do without you, Gigi Hadid?”

She laughed. “Starve to death or get food poisoning”.

He let her go and grabbed a can of tomato sauce that she had set on the counter. “I don’t even remember buying these”.

“Parker, we bought them two weeks ago!” She laughed loudly, in disbelief that he hadn’t seen a market in that amount of time.

“Oh”, he said, opening it up for her and setting it back down. He grabbed a saucepan and placed it on the stove, bringing the heat to a simmer as he poured the tomato based sauce into it.

Parker remained pretty silent as he helped her prepare dinner. She went on about the upcoming show at which she would walk, and he smiled and nodded along. He wondered if Zayn had gone to her shows, or if he was ever in love with Gigi at all. Maybe it was all just for promotional purposes. Maybe it was to hide the fact that Zayn was in love with Liam.

Parker watched as Gigi set down plates with pasta and red sauce and grabbed drinks for the two of them. He took a seat and waited for her as she dumped garbage into his trash can. She paused for a moment and looked to him as she came closer.

“Why is there an empty Marlboro pack in your trash can?” She took the seat across from him, setting down bread between them on the table.

“My friends came over the other night”. Parker said dryly, feeling slightly nauseous.

“You partied while I was gone, huh?” Gigi asked, a smirk on her face. “Did you have a keg and strippers, too?”

Parker laughed. “No, I didn’t”.

They ate silently for the most part, Gigi would tell him about her and Kendall’s time in Europe, other than that, silence.

“By the way, would you mind terribly sitting with Kendall at the show this weekend?” Gigi asked. She was at the sink now, washing her plate.

Parker stood up, grabbing his plate. “Sure”. He placed his plate in the sink and kissed her cheek. “Where is it?”

“New York, I’m leaving tomorrow”. She said as she finished up the dishes. “So I’m going home to pack now. I’ll see you then?”

Parker smiled and kissed her lips, his hands at the small of her back. “I’ll see you at the show, babe”.

She smiled as she pulled away, grabbing her bag before leaving his apartment. He watched as she left, still tasting her on his lips. He made sure she got in her car safely and drove off before he closed and locked the door behind him, instantly looking for his phone in his pocket. He found it, finally, and dialed up Zayn.

“Hey” Parker said when he heard the line pick up.

“Took you long enough”. Zayn sneered.

“Sorry, we were having dinner”.

Zayn rolled his eyes. “That’s very sweet”.

“Yeah, I know”. Parker made his way to the couch, throwing himself down as he let out a sigh.

“Did you have desert?” Zayn asked.

Parker paused. “No”.

“Want me to bring you something?” Zayn asked.

Parker laughed as he finally caught on. “No, I’ll bring you something”.

Zayn laughed on the other end. “You’re not good at this, Parker”.

“Good at what?” Parker was confused, staring at his black television screen.

Zayn sighed briefly. “At this thing. Whatever it is”.

Parker nodded, really to himself. He knew what Zayn meant. “Yeah, I don’t typically participate in these sorts of activities”.

“Come over, will you?” Zayn asked, attempting to cut off Parker’s thoughts before he began to second guess everything.

“I’ll be there soon”.

Parker grabbed his keys and wallet and headed out of his apartment.

 

\---Z---

 

Parker wrapped an arm around Zayn’s shoulder, pulling him closer as the two men had their eyes on the television before them, some horror movie playing. Zayn rested his head on Parker’s bare chest, his fingers running along the man’s thigh. They had already had their fair share of physical activity before they agreed to take a break. To Zayn, it was only getting better, and he only wanted Parker more. He didn’t think that was possible, but the way Parker touched him in all the right places, and the way he looked at him, Zayn couldn’t resist.

Zayn planted a kiss on Parker’s chest, letting his lips linger along his skin before looking up to him, smiling as Parker leaned his head downward for his lips to meet Zayn’s. Parker forced Zayn onto him, pushing with his arm as Zayn’s body obeyed the command. He was now straddling him, wrapping his legs around Parker’s waist. He kissed his mouth again, his hands on either side of Parker’s face. Before he could go any further, Zayn heard a vibration on the table beside the couch, and his attention turned to it, as did Parker’s.

“That’s you” Zayn said as he grabbed the vibrating phone and handed it to Parker.

Parker unlocked the screen and realized Gigi had sent him a text.

**_Gigi: Babe, your flight is tomorrow night. Kendall will meet you at your place and you two can go from there. I’ll see you soon. Xoxo_ **

“I have to go”, Parker said, locking his phone and putting it beside him on the couch.

“Gigi needs dick, too, huh?”

Parker shook his head. “I’m flying out tomorrow night with Kendall to New York for Gigi’s show”.

Zayn got up off of Parker, watching as the man searched for his shirt and shoes. “Wait, New York?”

Parker nodded. “Yes”.

“For how long?”

“The weekend, I hope”.

Zayn frowned. “Will I see you when you get back?”

Parker paused in his tracks, flashing a smile over to Zayn. “I’m not even gone yet, why are you so sad?”

Zayn shook his head. “I’m not sad. I just want to know if I’ll see you when you get back, is all”.

“Yeah, of course”. Parker said, lacing up his shoes before he grabbed his phone off of the table and slid it into his pocket. “Don’t miss me too much”.

Zayn rolled his eyes. “In your dreams, Cruz”.

Parker laughed as he leaned into Zayn, kissing his lips. “You’re gonna miss me, admit it”.

Zayn laughed before pulling himself away. “No, but you’re gonna miss me”.

Parker smiled, tugging at Zayn’s waistband. He wanted another go, but needed to get home and pack. “I’m gonna miss your tight ass”.

Zayn felt chills down his spine. “Maybe you should fuck me one last time before you leave, yeah?”

“Hmm”. Parker kissed Zayn’s neck, his hands already finding themselves inside Zayn’s boxers.

Zayn felt a warm sensation creep into his body as he felt Parker’s hand firmly grip around his member. He bit his bottom lip as he allowed Parker to push him back on the couch, watching him undress himself before he helped Zayn out of his own clothes.

Parker wasn’t sure what had gotten into him. There was something about Zayn that he couldn’t get enough of. And any time Zayn crept into his head, he turned into an animal, into a predator. He just wanted Zayn all to himself, every single inch of him. He held himself on top of Zayn with his hands, kissing his lips as he felt Zayn’s hands crawling over his back and chest. Parker kissed down the man’s bearded jawline, inhaling the scent of his facial hair as he went down his chest and to his waistline. He hadn’t done this before, but he wanted to. He wanted Zayn. In every way. And he knew this wasn’t something he was used to or would normally do. But he wanted to. He _needed_ to. Straight and gay meant nothing to him. They had become blurred.

Zayn let out a loud gasp when he felt Parker’s warm mouth take him in without warning.

“Parker!” Zayn moaned. “Fuck”.

Parker smiled, knowing he had caught him by surprise. He took him out of his mouth for a moment, staring directly into Zayn’s eyes before he took him back in. “You taste wonderful”.


	15. Chapter 15

Parker gripped the handles of his duffel bag harder as he watched an SUV pull up to the front of his apartment complex. Kendall came out of the back, swinging the door open, hanging up her call as her eyes fell on Parker. She offered him a smile before she went up to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him closely.

“You have been quite the ghost”, She said as she let go and walked him to the trunk, which opened with the click of a button.

Parker tossed his bag on top of what he assumed was her suitcase. “I’ve been insanely busy the past few months”.

“So I’ve heard”. She closed the trunk and they walked into the back of her SUV, her driver locking doors before he took off toward the airport.

“Shouldn’t you be in the show as well?” Parker asked as they neared the port.

Kendall shook her head. “I’m not a Victoria’s Secret Angel anymore”.

Parker laughed. “I think many people would still consider you an angel”.

Kendall’s eyes widened. “You’re my best friend’s boyfriend, knock it off”.

“I didn’t mean it that way, Kenny”. Parker shook his head, looking out of the window as the car came to a stop.

Kendall looked to him and smiled. “Sorry”.

Parker shrugged as he hopped out of the car, helping the model out as well before he grabbed their bags and headed inside, watching her as she attempted to lower her head as to not be recognized. He followed closely beside her, keeping his available hand at the small of her back so she was aware he had her taken care of.

They went through security quickly and found themselves at the terminal, catching up and sipping some water before they began to board. Parker had forgotten how nice Kendall really was, and how much he enjoyed her company. He just didn’t want anyone to know that they had hooked up more times than he could count. If that got back to Gigi, he’d be in trouble.

“I’m going to go use the restroom a minute, mind watching my stuff?” Kendall asked as she rose from the uncomfortable chair and smiled at Parker.

“Yeah, of course”. He watched her walk away as he pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed up Zayn.

“Mr. Cruz” he heard Zayn answer, causing him to smile.

“Mr. Malik. Just wanted to tell you I’m leaving in a few minutes”.

“Thank you for the update”. Zayn laughed. “How’s Kendall?”

Parker wasn’t sure, but he thought he heard a strong of jealousy in the other man’s voice. “She’s fine”.

“You do know that people are going mad with your hand down her back right?”

Parker laughed. “People have nothing better to do”.

Zayn laughed on the other end, and then sighed. “Be safe”.

“I plan on it, thanks”. Parker laughed.

“Parker”, Zayn began, unsure what to say to him without sounding the way he knew he was about to sound.

“Yes?”

“Let me know when you land. I just like knowing you’re safe”.

Parker smiled as he saw Kendall heading back toward him. “I will. Let me let you go, Kendall is coming back”.

Parker hung up the phone as he heard the intercom announce that they can board. He stood up and grabbed both their bags as Kendall smiled to him, thanking him for being a gentleman as usual. He followed her to board, climbing into the cold airplane and taking a seat beside her in first class. He made sure she was comfortable and had whatever she needed before he put her bag in the overhead compartment, sitting back down and buckling himself in. The plane waited for everyone to be seated and buckled and took off.

After an hour of conversation, Parker felt Kendall’s head on his shoulders. He looked down to her and she was fast asleep. He grabbed his phone, unsure if he should pay for the WiFi or just wait it out. He wasn’t bored; he actually enjoyed quiet plane rides. But if he connected to WiFi, he could at least talk to Zayn a bit before he landed. He knew that while in New York, their conversations would be held to a minimal. Ultimately, he decided against it. He refused to come off as needy or anything of that sort so he just plugged in his headphones and switched on his music, slowly drifting off to sleep.

 

\---Z---

 

Zayn hadn’t heard from Parker since he landed. It had been two days already. He shook his head as he examined his illuminated phone screen, no new messages from him. He put the back in his pocket before he headed back into the studio to finish his session.

The album was coming along nicely, and he was just about ready to wrap up before his final two songs. Parker was right about this label. They didn’t fuck around or waste time. They got right to work, and he found himself in the studio almost every day. He loved this, he loved to write and sing and create music. He found peace in it.

After a few more hours, the crew called it a night and Zayn headed to his apartment, where he had left Liam. He figured they’d grab some dinner or something before going to bed.

“Babe, you’re home!” Liam said excitedly as he closed the fridge, a bottled water in his hand. He made his way over to hug and kiss and Zayn.

“What’s up, love?” Zayn asked, pecking his boyfriend’s lips.

“How’d recording go?”

Zayn nodded. “Very well. Much progress, I’m quite excited about this”.

Liam smiled as he grabbed his hand and intertwined their fingers. “Are you hungry?”

Zayn nodded with a lazy smile.

“I’ve made you dinner”.

Zayn noticed the mess of pots in the sink, smiling as he realized how excited Liam was. He kissed his boyfriend with more enthusiasm now, wrapping a tattooed arm around his waist. “Thank you, baby! You’re amazing”.

The two sat down and enjoyed their dinner, talking more than they had in the past few months. They were reconnecting, which Zayn thought was good, but just didn’t feel the same. And he knew it wasn’t Liam. Liam was perfect. He knew it was himself. Every time Liam smiled, he saw Parker’s smile. He mentally shook his head every time this occurred in his eyes.

After they washed up the dishes and cleaned up the kitchen, they headed upstairs and got themselves ready for bed. Liam awaited Zayn in bed, scrolling through his phone while Zayn finished up in the shower. He came out, steam exiting the bathroom with him, as he shook his hair in a towel, drying it up.

“Babe, have you talked to Parker anymore?” Liam asked.

Zayn felt a fist hit his gut. He swallowed. “Not really, why?”

Liam shook his head. “I wonder if he’s still with Gigi”.

Zayn threw the towel on the floor and climbed into bed beside Liam, trying to look at his boyfriend’s phone. “Why wouldn’t he be?”

Liam revealed his screen to the eager man, showing him a picture of Kendall and Parker, very close to each other in New York, Parker’s hand on the small of her back again, Kendall smiling from ear to ear.

Zayn wasn’t sure what he felt, but it surely felt like jealousy. “They’re good friends, Li. He gave her a contract.”

Liam shook his head. “Parker, this doesn’t look like friends”.

Parker examined another photo, they were eating in an outdoor place, sitting beside each other, his neck craned as his lips met her ears. Or, that’s what it looked like to Zayn. He was feeling very hot and nauseous all at once. “Do you care?”

Liam laughed. “Well, yes! That’s not right!”

Zayn laughed and shook his head, laying back so his head could meet his pillow for the first time that night. “Liam, he’s a playboy. Let him be. I’m sure Gigi will handle his ass if she feels necessary”.

“Gigi’s a nice girl, Zayn. Whether I want to admit it or not, she doesn’t deserve that. She didn’t deserve you cheating on her, and now him?”

Zayn felt a lump in his throat. “You know, I cheated on her to be with you”.

Liam frowned. “I know, I wish we went about it a different way”.

Zayn shrugged. “It’s in the past. Stop worrying about her so much. What’s wrong with you?”

Liam shook his head. “I just feel bad, is all. I’ve learned my lesson, I felt the guilt for months. But for her to go through it again. And now, Kendall? Sheesh”.

“Babe, can you stop?”

Liam was confused. “What? I’m just saying, she went from bad to worse!”

“Am I bad?”

“Babe, you cheated on her!” Liam exclaimed.

Zayn shook his head. “Okay, can we move on from that?”

“I have but, she’s just not having any luck”.

“Then call her since you care so much!” Zayn said, annoyed.

Liam thought about it for a moment before he turned off his phone and setting it aside, curling up beside his boyfriend, somewhat uncomfortable until he fell fast asleep.

Zayn waited a good hour before he grabbed his phone and opened up Instagram, where he hit the find button and instantly, photos of Parker and Kendall were all over the platform. He hated to think that Parker was fucking around with Kendall again, especially because he and Zayn were finally getting cozy with one another.

Oh, and because of Gigi. Right.

He scrolled down, endless pictures and comments took over. He noticed new photos of them, walking way too close, or sitting way too close at the show, or one from her snapchat that a fan sent viral, where he was hugging her a little too closely, her hands on his waist band, his hands too close to her ass. Or were they on her ass? Zayn was getting annoyed, and he wanted to find out what the fuck he was doing. He closed out of the application, opening up his call dialogue before finding Parker’s last call from two days ago. He hit the call button and waited.

“Zayn?” He heard Parker ask.

“What the fuck, Parker?”


	16. Chapter 16

Parker slid out of his hotel room, running to the elevator so he could get to the lobby and out onto the street, away from Gigi. He had the phone to his ear, making sure Zayn was still on the other line.

“You there?” He asked, his breathing slightly heavy.

“Yes”.

“What’s wrong with you?” Parker asked, looking around him, familiarizing himself with his new surroundings.

Zayn scoffed. “You’re a fucking asshole, Parker!”

“What are you talking about?”

“Are you seriously acting like you’re not licking Kendall’s ass?”

Parker’s eyes widened. “I’m not licking her ass”.

“Do you pay attention to the media?”

Parker shook his head, as if Zayn could see him. “No. They always lie”.

There was an impatient sigh on the other end. “I don’t think they can possibly Photoshop so expertly as to make you grab her ass”.

Parker let out a laugh. “Zayn, what’s wrong with you?”

“Fuck you, Parker”.

He heard the line go dead before he removed the phone from his ear to see that Zayn hung up on him. He tried to call him back, but it went straight to voicemail. Parker sighed as he put his phone away in his pocket, looking out to the streets of New York as he began to stroll along, admiring that people were awake at this ungodly hour. Four AM and the people were hustling and bustling like it was the afternoon during a weekday.

He didn’t understand why Zayn was acting so weird, so he shrugged it off and disregarded it. Parker walked down a few blocks before he decided to return to the room. He rode the elevator quietly, humming to himself as he reached his floor. He was about to insert his room key into the lock when he noticed Kendall’s room three doors down. He removed his key from the lock and made his way to her room, landing a silent knock on her door. He waited a few seconds before he heard footsteps coming toward the door. He watched as the knob turned and she slowly opened the door, seemingly wide awake.

“Parker?” She asked, almost in a whisper, her eyes squinting slightly.

He gave her a weak smile. “I can’t sleep, Kenny”.

She shook her head and took a step to the side, allowing him into her room before she closed the door and made sure it was locked.

 

\---Z---

 

 

Four days later, Zayn hadn’t heard from Parker anymore. He assumed the fucker was getting off with Kendall, and he told himself that he wasn’t going to talk to him anymore. He was absolutely done. How could he not see what he had done? It was very clear to him that he and Parker were done before they ever truly started.

Zayn was walking into his apartment after a long day of recording. He wanted to just sit on the couch and do nothing. He was exhausted; he hadn’t been sleeping and his anxiety was at its worst. He unlocked the door to his cold apartment. He looked around, dropping his stuff on the kitchen counter, looking for Liam.

“Babe?” he called out, realizing that Liam had left the air conditioner on. He turned it off before walking into his bedroom. Empty.

He walked back to the couch, where he sat in his usual spot before turning on the television. He didn’t want to really watch anything, but he wanted the background noise to fall asleep to. Fast and Furious was playing on the movie network, and he rolled his eyes.

“That movie sucks”, he said to himself, remembering that he had seen it with Parker.

He hadn’t realized that he had drifted off to sleep. He heard the door open, Liam’s voice filling the room. He stood up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he heard Liam talking on the phone.

“Okay, later love”. Liam left the phone on the counter and walked over to plant a kiss on his boyfriend’s sleepy lips.

“Where were you, Li?” Zayn asked, watching his boyfriend sit down on the couch beside where Zayn had sat. Zayn sat back down, still sleepy.

“I was out to dinner”. Liam grabbed the television remote and started channel surfing. Zayn hated when he did that. He could never pick one channel; he went through all 500 of them.

“With?” Zayn raised an eyebrow, studying his boyfriend.

“With my friends”. Liam studied what was on the screen before changing it again.

“What friends?” Zayn asked, growing impatient. Liam never went out like this without telling him who he was going with and where.

“Zayn, I do have friends, you know?” Liam asked with a playful smile. “You’re just never around to hang out with us, babe”.

Zayn nodded as he claimed himself down, realizing he sounded a bit frazzled. “Sorry”.

“It’s okay babe. It’s nice to see you so caring every now and then”. Liam kissed his boyfriend’s neck.

They sat and watched some television for about an hour before Liam announced that he was going to shower and head to bed. Zayn nodded and stayed on the couch, waiting to hear the shower go on before snatching Liam’s phone, remembering that Zayn’s own birthday was his password. Once he unlocked the phone, he went to Liam’s call history and his eyes widened at the screen. He closed the call history and went to Liam’s messages, which confirmed what he had hoped to be just an assumption. He scrolled through their messages, feeling nauseous as he read through them.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door and Zayn’s heart skipped a beat. He closed out of Liam’s phone and left it where he had found it as he walked over to answer. He looked through the peephole and Parker was there, his fist closed. _Fuck_.

He knocked again. “Zayn, let me in”.

Zayn hesitated before he opened the door and walked out, closing it behind him for Liam not to hear. It felt like years since he had seen Parker, who hadn’t shaved in what seemed like a month. He was in a UFC hoodie, a cap on his head.

“Can we grab dinner?” Parker asked, nodding his head in the direction towards the exit of the complex.

Zayn was slightly relieved, expecting Parker to have been angry. He guessed he didn’t know that his boyfriend was hanging out with his girlfriend. “Yeah”.

Parker smiled at Zayn, stealthily grabbing the Brit’s hand in his, catching Zayn by surprise. He decided he needed to relax. At least, for the time being, Parker clearly had no idea. He led Zayn down to the parking lot, opening the car door for him. He climbed in on the driver’s side and started the car before he planted a kiss on Zayn’s lips.

“I’ve missed you”, Parker said.

Zayn smiled to him, loving this side to him. “I missed you too, Parker. I’m sorry abou-“

Parker held a finger to Zayn’s lips. “Look, nothing happened between her and I. That’s why I was unsure as to why you were reacting the way you did. But I figured you had a right to get that way after I saw all those damn pictures. I’m sorry”.

Zayn bit his bottom lip, trying to figure the man out. He admired that Parker was so understanding, and was grateful that he didn’t have to worry. He could tell Parker was sincere about this. “So, you’re not fucking Kendall?”

Parker shook his head. “No, I’m not”.

Zayn smiled to himself. “Good”.

“Can we go eat now? Gigi left me for dinner with friends and I haven’t eaten anything”.

Zayn felt like there was a hurricane in his stomach. “Yeah, let’s go”.


	17. Chapter 17

“If you’re not doing anything this weekend, you can come to my fight”. Parker said, finishing up his sandwich.

Zayn smiled as he took a sip of his water. “I’ll be there”.

Parker smiled. “That means a lot to me”.

“Why doesn’t Gigi go?”

Parker’s lips turned into a straight line. “She doesn’t know I actually compete”.

“So what does she know?” Zayn asked, chomping down on the last of his fries.

“She knows I practice MMA as a workout. Not as an actual…side thing”.

“Do you make money off of it?”

“Yes”, Parker said. “Not much. It’s certainly not for the money”.

Zayn nodded. “Why won’t you tell her?”

Parker laughed and shook his head. “She’ll find things out that she doesn’t need to know”.

“Like what?” Zayn asked.

Parker sighed. “Like how I beat that guy to a pulp. Like how I was sued. How I was banned from a combat sport. She’s not going to deal with that, I promise you”.

Zayn sort of smirked to himself, thinking that these were the least of Gigi’s problems with Parker. “She’s quite understanding”.

Parker shook his head. “She doesn’t need to know, it’s not a big deal”.

“It’s something you love, so it’s a big deal”. Zayn said sitting back in his seat.

“I’m not telling her. This conversation is over”.

Zayn nodded, watching as Parker’s phone began to ring. The fighter dug into his pockets and pulled it out.

“Hey babe”, He said, and Zayn already knew who it was.

Parker’s eyes darted from Zayn, to the door, then to the floor, then back to Zayn. He was very quiet, and Zayn wondered if Gigi was telling him that she and Liam had dinner and that Liam had told her that he thinks Parker is sleeping with Kendall.

“Okay, I’ll be there in a bit”. He hung up and placed the phone, screen facing down, on the table. He finished up his fries, taking a sip of his tea to wash it down. “Ready to go?”

Zayn frowned. “Not really, but I see you have to get going”.

Parker shrugged. “Sorry”.

Zayn nodded. Something didn’t feel right with that conversation, but he didn’t try to think too much into it. He just hoped that Parker wouldn’t cut their ties because of Liam and his stupidity. “No worries, babe”.

“Come on, I’ll drive you home”. Parker said, stretching when he rose from his seat.

The two men headed into Parker’s car, Zayn looking out the tinted window as he heard the engine start. The car rattled slightly as Parker shut his door.

“Is she upset with you?” Zayn asked as they drove down the freeway.

“Who?” Parker asked.

“Gigi, of course!” Zayn said.

Parker nodded. “I don’t think so. Why would she be?”

Zayn swallowed. “I don’t know. It just seems something’s up”.

A laugh came out of Parker’s parted lips. “No, she just wants to catch a movie tonight and stuff. She’s just being a typical woman, you know”.

Zayn nodded with a half-smile on his face. “Yeah, I get you”.

Parker pulled up to Zayn’s apartment, putting the car in park. He looked over to Zayn, who was looking out of the window. Parker grabbed Zayn’s hand in his, rubbing his thumb along his skin. Zayn looked to Parker, who offered a weary smile. He leaned in and kissed Zayn’s lips, pushing his tongue into his mouth without waiting for permission. Zayn moaned softly, feeling heat travel up and down his body, shooting through his veins.

“Do you have to go?” Zayn asked, still kissing Parker.

Parker nodded before pulling away slowly. “Yeah, I’m sorry”.

Zayn nodded and smiled before he opened the car door violently.

“Please don’t be upset with me again”, Parker pleaded, looking into Zayn’s brown eyes. They were haunting.

“I’m not. I’ll see you at the fight I guess”, Zayn said as he closed the passenger side door.

Parker watched the singer disappear into the apartment building. He let out a deep sigh as he drove off. He wasn’t sure what he was feeling anymore. He wasn’t sure if he loved Gigi anymore, but whatever was happening to him regarding Zayn, he needed it to stop. But he didn’t want it to stop. And he knew that what he was about to do was so wrong, to both of them.

After a 15 minute drive, Parker pulled up to a house, much too large for his taste. He made sure his car was locked before he headed toward the front entrance, his knuckles hitting the door as he knocked. He took a step back, looking around him before the door swung open. A smile crept on his lips as his eyes met her brown ones. Parker took a step closer to the woman, wrapping his arms around her waist as her arms secured around his neck. He kissed her wet lips, biting gently on her bottom lip as they entered her house and shut the door behind them.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Filler chapter. Extra Fluffy.  
> I won't be updating until Monday.  
> Thanks for reading.  
> Peace!

Zayn sat silently, alone, in the crowd, waiting for the fight to begin. He searched the crowd with his eyes, attempting not to move too much. No sign of Gigi. _He really didn’t want her around_ , he thought. But he had asked for Zayn to be there, which made Zayn feel really good about himself, and more importantly, about _them._

The announcer stepped into the fighting cage, announcing that Parker and opponent were coming out. He stated their height, weight, and where they were from. Zayn smiled subtly when he saw the man come out and strip of his warm up gear, an official checking his gloves and his mouth guard, then patting him down before applying some ointment to the man’s face.

He watched as the other fighter went through the same checkup before entering the cage, jumping up and down and wriggling his body to seemingly warm himself up. The two patted gloves as the referee asked for a fair and clean fight. Then he removed himself from the center and the two men began to dance around the octagon shaped cage. He watched as the opponent took two jabs at Parker, who dodged only one of them, the other hitting him right above the eye. Zayn felt himself cringe at the sight. Parker seemed to smile, but Zayn couldn’t tell. He watched as he leaned into his opponent and landed a kick to the man’s inner thigh, and then moved back, dodging a counter jab. Zayn’s eyes danced with them, wincing every time Parker got hit, which became frequent. He didn’t look like the same guy he saw fight the last time.

After two rounds, Parker had blood spilling over his eye, the cut had opened. Zayn watched, hoping that it would end already. This sport was absolutely barbaric. The other fighter was covered in blood, probably a mixture of Parker’s and his own. It looked to Zayn as though Parker was going to lose this fight. His energy was low, and he kept getting hit in the chest and face. He was moving slowly, walking his opponent around the cage. Parker took another hit before he took a few steps back and shook his head and arms. Zayn covered his mouth, watching as the other fighter landed a devastating kick to Parker’s leg, causing him to almost lose balance. Zayn’s eye’s widened as his brows arched when he saw a nasty smile on Parker’s bloody lips. He pressured the opponent, sending him to the floor with a speedy combination that Zayn could not keep up with. Parker didn’t even have to finish him; the referee stopped him as the man lay on the floor, wide eyed, barely moving.

He finally stood up and the crowd began roaring in cheer, chanting Parker’s last name. Zayn smiled and clapped, thankful that this was over. He scanned over the crowd when someone caught his eye. He took a double take when he realized Kendall was only a few rows to the left of him. He shook his head and closed his eyes, then looked back in her direction, and sure enough, it was her. She was clapping and cheering, with her sister Kylie beside her. Zayn felt slightly hot before he made his way down the stadium style seating. He was heading in her direction when someone’s shoulder bumped into him, causing him to get distracted. By the time he continued toward Kendall, she was gone. He looked through the crowd and couldn’t find her. He walked out of the arena, looking for her everywhere, but she was long gone.

Zayn felt a hand on his shoulder and he turned around with a yelp, and then sighed when Parker was before him, his smile radiant, his eyebrow completely cut up.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you”, Parker laughed.

“Why was Kendall here?” Zayn asked, his lips straight.

Parker shook his head slowly. “Kendall Jenner?”

“Yes, Kendall, the one you fucked”. Zayn said dryly. “Why was she here?”

“I didn’t know she would be here, I never told her about this”, Parker said, calmly and not bothered by Zayn’s questioning.

Zayn shook his head. “She was here”.

“Did she see you?” Parker asked.

Zayn sighed. “I don’t think so”.

Parker smiled, and then let out a small laugh. “What is with you, Zayn? Maybe it was coincidence”.

“No, Parker, no way. Your girlfriend’s best friend, watching you fight, and cheering for you? I don’t see how that’s a coincidence”. Zayn glared at Parker, trying to figure out what he was thinking.

Parker shrugged. “Maybe she likes fighting”.

“Parker, don’t fuck with me”. Zayn said.

“I’m not!” Parker exclaimed, grabbing a hold of Zayn’s hand. “I don’t know what she was doing here, but it doesn’t matter. Can we leave now?”

Zayn sighed. He looked into Parker’s eyes and saw nothing but paradise. He trusted him. And he trusted that Parker wouldn’t lie to him, but he needed to be sure. “Let me see your phone”.

Parker’s eyes widened. “Just because we’re fucking doesn’t mean I’m yours, Zayn”.

“If you’re not lying, you’d give me your phone”. Zayn said, sort of hurt by what the man had just told him. He disregarded it for the time being.

Parker rolled his eyes and handed him his phone, unlocking it for him. Zayn opened up his call log, and saw numbers he didn’t recognize, then Gigi, then his own, then Jeff. _Fine._ Then he opened up the text messages, and saw many messages from different attorneys and managers, from Jeff and other employees, then Gigi and Zayn. Nothing from Kendall, or to Kendall, or about Kendall. Zayn swallowed as he handed back Parker’s phone, relieved that he didn’t find anything.

“If you’re gonna keep this up, Zayn, I’m not gonna do this anymore. Gigi doesn’t even go through my phone. And she probably should”. Parker said, beginning to walk away from Zayn.

Zayn shook his head before following him, now beside him. “I’m sorry, Parker. I just…she shouldn’t be there”.

“It’s a free country. Well, sometimes”. Parker smiled. “She can be wherever she wants”.

The two men went outside to the parking lot, searching for Parker’s car. Zayn followed him, feeling embarrassed for what he just did. He didn’t even feel jealous of Gigi anymore. Something about Kendall made him want to smack her. He felt _threatened_. Even though, as Parker said, he wasn’t his, he still felt like he was his, and he didn’t want some bitch interfering.

The two men had grabbed some fast food on the way to Zayn’s apartment. Liam was gone for the weekend and Zayn hoped that parker would spend his two free days with him. Zayn let Parker shower while he sat on the couch, lighting up a blunt. He laughed when he heard Parker sing a Selena Gomez song in the shower, shaking his head at the thought of that man singing _Good for You_. A few minutes passed and Parker came out, a towel wrapped around his waist.

“I left my clothes over by you” Parker announced, flashing the Brit a grin.

Zayn laughed and grabbed his clothes and handed it to him, the man pulling him in by the waist for a kiss. Parker bit his lower lip, leaning into him, the kiss becoming more passionate. Parker slowly pulled away as he let go of the towel and pulled up his boxers.

“You’re a tease”, Zayn said, laughing.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t fucking move right after the beating I got today”. Parker smiled, pulling over his shirt.

Parker’s phone began vibrating on the counter violently. He walked over and picked it up. Zayn watched as Parker’s eyes started darting everywhere, as they had the other night. _It’s her again_ , Zayn thought. He rolled his eyes and put on the television.

“Zayn, I’ve got to go”.

Zayn didn’t even turn his head. “Bye”.

Parker furrowed his brows. “Please don’t be upset”.

Zayn laughed, finally turning to face him. “Why are you even with her anymore, Parker?”

Parker shifted his weight, grabbing his duffel bag. “Cause..I care for her”.

“You don’t love her. If you did, you wouldn’t be doing this to her”.

Parker nodded. “Please, stop. I’ll call you tomorrow. Thanks for coming to watch”.

Zayn didn’t bother to speak to him when he heard the door shut close. He let out a sigh, laying back on the couch and letting himself drift off to sleep.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Somewhat fluffly.  
> Something highly important  
> is revealed. But still, mostly fluff.  
> Peace!

Parker brushed Kendall’s hair away from her face before planting a kiss on her forehead, her eyes still full of sleep, her lips curved into a smile. He peered over to the clock on the bed side table, showing that it was one in the morning. He knew he should get back to his apartment and attempt to get some actual sleep, but he hated being alone. He hated sleeping by himself.

Kendall let out a small sigh, smiling as she met his lips with hers, enjoying the way his lips tasted. Parker bit her bottom lip gently as he rolled himself on top of her thin frame, her hands on his shoulders as he leaned in and kissed her neck softly. She let out a moan, causing him to smile against her warm skin. He kissed her cheek, then her lips before laying back, sleepily yawning.

“How’s Zayn?” Kendall asked, looking at the man beside her through the corner of her glowing brown eyes.

Parker’s eyes slightly widened. He didn’t look at her when he replied. “Zayn?”

Kendall laughed softly. “Yeah, is he your best friend now or something?”

Parker shook his head. “What are you talking about?”

“I saw him at your fight. This is the second time now”. Kendall was looking directly at Parker’s unshaven face.

Parker swallowed. “We’ve grown as friends, yeah. Something like that”.

“Does Gigi know?”

Parker sighed. “Of course not”.

“Do you tell her anything? I feel like she doesn’t know who you really are”. Kendall sat up, fixing her hair into a ponytail.

Parker stared into her eyes. “No, Kenny. She doesn’t need to know”.

“That’s your answer for everything with her”.

“So should I tell her everything? I’m sure she’d be happy to know how much you enjoy my dick”. Parker said dryly.

Kendall rolled her eyes. “Parker, you can’t live a double life forever”.

Parker shook his head. “I’m going to marry her”.

Kendall laughed. “You’re hilarious”.

Parker stood up, pulling on his jeans. “We’re done here. For good”.

“I hope you’re done with Zayn as well”.

Parker looked back at Kendall, who smiled. “What does that mean?”

“What was his name? The guy you beat the shit out of?”

Parker furrowed his brows. “Michael”.

Kendall nodded. “Are you going to do the same with Zayn?”

“Kenny, I thought you were my friend”. Parker said.

“I am, so I know how this is going to go down. You don’t love Gigi. Hell, I don’t even know why you fuck me when you’re attracted to men. And once Zayn gets too close, you’re going to do the same to him as you did to Michael”. Kendall sighed. She knew she hit a touchy subject for the man, but she didn’t care. She was the only one who saw right through him. “You don’t know how to handle your emotions without beating people”.

“Why would you throw that shit in my face? I trusted you”. Parker was angry, his temperature rising.

“Because I know you better than you know yourself. And I think you need to think about what you’re doing. All I know is that, if you pull that on Zayn, your career is over. He’s high profile celebrity. It will get out there”.

Parker stared into her eyes, realizing she wasn’t trying to be a bitch. She was being a friend. Or so he hoped. He had trusted her when they first met with his darkest secrets, and here she was, spewing them out to him. And how she knew about Zayn was beyond his imagination. She busted them, he was sure of it. Or she really should consider joining the FBI.

“Parker, man up”. Kendall paused for a moment, staring at the fighter, whose chest was heaving.

Parker knew Kendall was right about all of this. He sat at the edge of her bed, scratching his head. It was funny hearing something like that coming from the girl who was fucking her best friend’s boyfriend.

“Are you going to talk to her?” He asked her.

“About what?”

“You fucking me all the time”.

Kendall smiled. “Nope”.

“And you’re here lecturing me?”

Kendall nodded. “Yup”.

Parker shook his head. “You’re not a very good example, Kenny”.

Kendall shrugged. “Never said I was, Parker. I never said I was”.


	20. Chapter 20

 

“Parker!” Jeff hollered, his fifth attempt at getting the man’s attention.

Parker snapped out of his thoughts, turning his head to face the blonde haired man. “Sorry, what’s up?”

Jeff frowned, noticing that Parker looked like he hadn’t slept in months, and worse, looked like he didn’t own a razor. “You look awful”.

Parker smiled, rolling his eyes. “Thank you”.

“What’s going on? This is unlike you”. Jeff took a seat across from him at Parker’s desk, looking back to make sure the door was shut. “Are you and Gigi fighting?”

Parker shook his head with a broken smile. “No”.

“What is it?” Jeff was starting to worry. If it wasn’t Gigi, then what could possibly be going on that could make Parker this careless with himself.

Parker shook his head again, looking away. “I’m just tired, I guess”.

Jeff sighed. “I’ve seen you tired. I’ve seen you after you’ve been knocked out in a fight. But I’ve only seen you like this once. And that was after Michae-“

Parker smiled, “Please, don’t. I’ve heard about him enough from Kendall”.

“Kendall? Parker, what are you doing?” Jeff furrowed his brows. “And how does she know about Michael?”

“Cause she did extensive background research on me before she hired me”. Parker shook his head. “Besides, I told her. A long time ago”.

Jeff nodded. “Why did she bring him up?”

“Why are you asking me so many questions?” Parker was getting annoyed. It was mostly with himself, but he was taking it out on Jeff.

“Parker, I’m worried about you”. Jeff shifted his weight, crossing his left leg over the right. “You’ve been very weird the past couple months. I know something is going on that you’re not telling me”.

Parker closed his eyes for a moment before sighing. “Jeff, I’m just trying to figure things out. That’s all”.

“You’ve got a great career, an amazing woman, and you do whatever the hell you want. What is there to figure out?” Jeff glared at him, waiting for a reaction.

Parker shook his head, laughing softly. He sighed, standing up from his chair, his hands now on his waist, peering out of his office window, admiring the Los Angeles skyline. “I don’t love Gigi”.

Jeff’s eyes widened, slowly standing up. He wasn’t exactly surprised, but he knew what this meant. “Parker, who is it?”

Parker didn’t look to Jeff. It was amazing to him that he didn’t have to say much for his friend to know exactly what his words meant. He never failed at picking up his broken words and sentences. He always knew. He glanced back at Jeff, who was now standing about five feet away from Parker. The fighter shook his head and laughed quietly, knowing that Jeff knew damn well who it was. “Jeff, don’t make me say it out loud”.

The blonde nodded, taking a stance beside his friend, looking out at the same view as Parker. He didn’t need him to say his name. He knew. “How long?”

“A while now. I tried getting rid of it. All of it. But I couldn’t. Not even Kendall got it out of me”.

“Does he know about Michael?”

Parker shook his head. “He knows I beat the shit out of him, due to bad blood. I didn’t go into detail”.

“Hmm”. Jeff swallowed. His friend tended to get himself into clusterfuck of messes. “And Gigi? You can’t keep stringing her along”.

“He’s with someone else”. Parker sighed.

“Parker, you can’t do shit like this! Didn’t you learn from the last time?” Jeff grumbled, somewhat to himself.

Parker looked over to the blonde, his heart thumping loudly in his chest. “He needs to leave him before I leave Gigi”.

Jeff rolled his eyes. “Be a man, and leave Gigi. She does not deserve this. Any of this. Not you with him or you with her best friend. Don’t think I didn’t catch you two the other night in here. What’s gotten into you?”

Parker looked down, breathing deeply. “I was trying to get rid of him. At least, mentally. Or whatever. I don’t even know how to explain”.

“Well, fucking your girlfriend’s best girl is messed up, whether you love Gigi or not”. Jeff looked to Parker, who had his eyes closed. “Why are you fighting your feelings? Are you falling for him? What is so wrong with loving another man?”

Parker opened his eyes slowly, Jeff noticing that they were now glossy. This may be the first time that the blonde had ever seen him show this sort of emotion. “I’m a man, and being with another makes me less. And can you imagine an MMA fighter who is gay? I can’t. Being this way is what got me kicked out of UFC in the first place”.

“No, Parker, having that fucked up mindset and being unable to communicate your feelings is what got you in the bullshit that you’re in”. Jeff licked his lips. “There is nothing wrong with being gay and it certainly doesn’t make you any less of a man. As a matter of fact, gay men are a lot more brave and _manly_ than straight guys. Why? Because they’ve got the balls to be themselves. What you’ve been doing - running around with him and Kendall behind Gigi’s back - that’s what makes you less of a man. Not honestly loving another man”.

Parker felt his friend’s words hitting him like bullets, unsure if he should cry or strangle him. The truth was never supposed to be friendly and sweet. It was harsh, cold and devastating. Especially hearing it out loud, told by someone who did not sugar coat his words to save his life. It was like a knife to his chest, a loud screeching sound in his ear drum.

He leaned forward on the window pane, holding himself up with his arms.  He felt his eyes getting hot, trying to hold himself back from showing his emotions. He looked at Jeff, who had his brows furrowed. “You’re right, Jeff”.

Jeff nodded. “Be a man and take care of this”.

Parker grabbed his suit jacket, pulling it over as he grabbed his car keys from his desk drawer, thanking Jeff for putting things into perspective for him before he headed down to the parking lot, rehearsing what he was going to tell Gigi.

 

 

 


	21. Chapter 21

Liam walked into the apartment, taking off his jacket and tossing it aside, closing the door behind him. He wandered into the kitchen, where he found Zayn washing dishes. The darker haired man turned off the faucet and wiped his hands dry with a kitchen towel, noticing a very serious look on Liam’s face.

“What’s with you?” Zayn asked as he moved closer to him.

He shook his head. “I told you that Parker guy was no good!”

He watched as Liam took a seat at the counter, clearly upset. Zayn furrowed his brows, a lump forming in his throat. “What do you mean?”

Liam looked up at him and shook his head. “Gigi’s going to get rid of him”.

“Liam, what are you talking about?”

“Gigi and I, we’ve gotten rather close, you see. And I told her I had a feeling he was hooking up with Kendall behind her back. Turns out, she knew all along. Matter of fact”, Liam paused, letting out a small laugh. “Matter of fact, she was in on it”.

Zayn did not understand any of what Liam was explaining. “Liam, what the hell does that mean?”

“Zayn,” Liam began, a wicked smile appearing on his wet lips. “Gigi set it up. I mean, I was stupid to think Kendall would do that to her best friend. And I was. It was coordinated”.

“What was coordinated?” Zayn felt his stomach whirling.

“Kendall and Parker have been fucking the past month”, Liam explained. “Gigi had Kendall do it. To see if he was faithful. Clearly, he failed the test. They hook up about three times a week, something like that”.

Zayn stared at Liam for a moment before he processed what his boyfriend was telling him. “Wait, he and Kendall have been doing this recently?”

Liam shouted, “Yes, babe! This month!”

“And Gigi was the one who put Kendall up to it?” Zayn asked, his mouth going dry.

“Yes!” Liam said. “She asked Kendall to test him. And he took the bait”.

“How did you get involved in this again?” Zayn was clearly angry, and he knew he couldn’t show Liam the true reason why.

“Babe, I had to tell her. I had to talk to her because I knew he was cheating on her”.

“She’s my ex. You should have stayed out of it!” Zayn yelled. “It’s none of your business what he does or she does!”

“Zayn, how could I possibly not tell her when I knew?”

“You didn’t know! You had a _feeling_ , it’s not the same thing!”

“It bloody well may be since it was true!” Liam raised his voice.

Zayn shook his head, feeling very hot and anxious, wanting to throw up. “You probably stirred shit up, and now he’s going to get his ass left”.

Liam’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Zayn, do you hear yourself? He CHEATED ON HER WITH HER BEST FRIEND!”

Zayn shook his head as he grabbed his keys and a hoodie. “Stop meddling in shit, Liam. This is stupid. You just caused a breakup”.

“She had planned this! How can you stand there and defend him?” Liam asked, his voice at a rather high pitch.

Zayn ignored him as he walked out of the apartment, slamming the door shut behind him. He walked down the stairs, heated, angry, a tear rolling down his cheek. He quickly wiped his face before he was on the sidewalk, walking quickly, as if being followed.

He felt somewhat bad for yelling at Liam. This had nothing to do with Liam. It had everything to do with Parker being a dishonest asshole. Zayn laughed and shook his head, realizing that Parker had played him like a fucking violin. He knew he was too good to be true. He knew Kendall being at that fight wasn’t a coincidence. But Zayn was so blinded by his feelings for the guy that his lies and his eyes made him think otherwise.

Zayn finally reached Parker’s apartment complex, where he saw that stupid red Pagani parked in its specified space. He hated that car. He hated the driver. The driver was full of shit. He swallowed, forcing back his stupid tears before he went up the elevator to Parker’s floor. He walked slowly to his front door, feeling very sick. He had never felt anything like this before. _Is this what happens when the person you love is fucking around with someone else behind your back? Is this what Liam would feel like if he knew what Zayn had been doing?_

He swallowed one last time, wiping his face dry before he knocked on the door with some force. It took a few seconds before the door opened slowly, Parker standing at the frame, beard unshaven, hair disheveled, and eyes bloodshot. He looked like hell, and Zayn temporarily forgot how angry he was at him, until Parker took a step closer to Zayn and attempted to kiss him and he remembered everything that he had just learned. He shoved him in the chest, pushing him back.

“Don’t fucking touch me!” Zayn said, raising his voice at the fighter, whose eyes were glossy. Zayn mentally shook his head, trying to stand his ground. “You’re not fucking Kendall, huh?”

Parker sighed, speaking quietly. “Can we talk about this inside?”

Zayn felt tears forming inside his eyes. He looked away from Parker for a moment before he looked him in the eyes. “You’re a piece of shit, Parker”.

He let a sigh leave his lips before he tried again. “Inside. Please. Let’s not do this out here”.

Zayn pushed himself past Parker and into his apartment. Parker shut the door and turned to face Zayn when he felt an open hand fly across his face. Zayn retracted his arm and glared at Parker, his eyes welling up now, unable to hide it. He couldn’t believe he just smacked him across his face, but he didn’t know what else to do. He was so angry and so hurt, that he could smack him a few more times. Maybe it would help.

He watched Parker’s chest heave and nostril’s flair. He had just pissed him off, he could tell. And he knew Parker wanted to kick his ass.

“I dare you, Parker”. Zayn said, watching the man’s hands form into closed fists. “I fucking dare you!”


	22. Chapter 22

Parker’s chest heaved as he eyed Zayn, clenching his fists tightly; wanting to throw a punch to the other man so badly, it pained him to restrain himself. But he had to. He had to because he knew he’d lose him, if he hadn’t already. He smashed his fist, hammer side, into the wall behind him. This was the first time he didn’t hit someone back after getting smacked in the face. He kept his distance from Zayn, hoping he wouldn’t lose it on him.

“You owe me a lot of fucking explanations”. Zayn licked his lips. “So start”.

Parker tilted his head. “I don’t owe you anything. I cheated on Gigi, not you. You were just a fun time, Zayn. We were never together”.

Zayn felt a lump in his throat, forcing back tears. “Is that all I am to you? What about you saying that this could work?”

Parker shook his head. “Zayn, I’m not sure about much anymore”.

“Well, you sure as hell enjoy fucking me”. Zayn scoffed, getting closer to the man. “I asked you about that slut, and you said you weren’t fucking her! I may not be yours, Parker, but you shouldn’t have lied to me!”

“You wouldn’t have been okay with it”.

“No shit! But you could’ve had the fucking decency to tell me the truth and I wouldn’t have been hurt!”

Parker moved closer to Zayn, understanding that Zayn felt more for him than he had previously believed; his words and reactions have confirmed this. Parker sighed, admitting to himself that this is what he needed to hear from Zayn. He knew it all along of course, but for Zayn to say it, it had a whole other meaning. “Zayn, I knew you’d stop seeing me if I told you the truth about Kendall”.

Zayn shoved Parker’s chest. “Still, you shouldn’t have fucking lied to me!”

Parker could see tears breaking through Zayn’s eyes. “I know, I’m sorry”.

“Sorry isn’t enough this time, Parker”.

Zayn went to leave, but Parker grabbed the man’s tattooed arm. Zayn turned around and slapped Parker again, this time with more force. Parker let go of Zayn’s arm, but grabbed the collar of his shirt and shoved him against the wall, his face only centimeters away from Zayn’s.

Zayn groaned slightly, feeling the pain from his back hitting the wall with such force. “Parker, let go of me!”

Parker tightened his grip, almost blacking out. He could barely make out Zayn’s face from the black cloud taking over his eyes. He gripped the collar tighter in his fist, pulling him into him before slamming him back against the wall. He felt hands prying on his closed fist full of shirt, but they weren’t strong enough. Zayn coiled up a hand before closing it into a fist, swallowing before he threw it to Parker’s face, which caused the fighter to flinch, but not let go. Zayn watched as he had opened the cut that was almost healed above the man’s eyebrow; blood trickled down slowly. Zayn came to the realization that opening a fight with this man was not a good idea.

With two hands, Parker grabbed Zayn’s collar and shoved himself against him, the wall holding up just fine under their weight. “If I wanted to”, Parker said with gritted teeth. “I could fucking kill you. Right now”.

Zayn’s eyes glazed, learning a whole new side to this man that he had never seen. The fighting in the octagon was one thing. Right now, he was being an animal. It was as if he turned into a fucking werewolf and had no control over himself. Zayn was just thankful that Parker hadn’t struck him yet, but he wondered why.

“Why don’t you then?” Zayn said, trying to get Parker off of him, but he was failing miserably.

Parker’s eyes darted from Zayn’s own eyes, down to the floor, then back up to Zayn’s. “I can’t”.

“You’ve already broken my heart, fucker. So go for it. It won’t hurt as bad!”

His heart tugged painfully when he heard those words come from Zayn’s shaky mouth. He hung his head after a moment, loosening his grip on Zayn. He backed up, his eyes closed. He felt something wet roll down his cheek, and this time it wasn’t blood, although he had wished it was. He preferred blood to tears.

He walked away from Zayn, finding himself in the kitchen, pulling a beer out of the fridge. He smashed the bottle top against the edge of the counter, the cap flying off, the counter chipped now. He took a sip before he sighed, fighting back whatever emotions he was feeling. He was very good at this, it was what he had always done. However, it was harder this time. It was harder when he was looking at Zayn, and Zayn was so hurt, and he was not only emotionally hurting him, but physically had him pinned against a wall. He was hurt himself. He lost Gigi, and he figured he lost Zayn as well. But the worst part was that he lost himself. He lost himself in trying to be someone he wasn’t. Zayn brought out the best in him, and he destroyed it because he didn’t want it to happen that way.

Parker chugged down the rest of the bottle before lazily throwing it in the nearby trash can. He looked up and noticed Zayn watching him, his eyes puffy. “Zayn, I”.

He paused for a moment, Zayn glaring at him. He didn’t seem angry. Now he just seemed hurt, disappointed almost. Zayn had expected too much, he thought. Too much from someone like himself.

“I fucked up. And I’m so sorry”, Parker said quietly. “I didn’t mean to hurt you this way. I really didn’t Zayn. I’ve never”.

He stopped speaking, swallowing, fighting back tears. How the hell could he possibly tell him what he was feeling, what he had wanted to tell him? Hell, it would seem almost hypocritical if he told him. With all of what he’s done, it seems as though there was no affection or love for Zayn at all. He understood why Zayn was so hurt, so heartbroken. Magical moments between them two only lasted exactly that, moments. So how could he possibly look this man in the eyes and tell him what he really feels, but has not shown in any way?

“What is it Parker?” Zayn asked, looking him over as he leaned up against the counter, arms crossed over his chest.

Parker’s eyes darted furiously. They finally landed on Zayn’s, making him feel anxious. He walked over to him, his hands shaking slightly. This was unlike anything he had ever had to deal with. He placed a hand on either side of Zayn’s face, making sure that the eye contact could not be interrupted.

Parker’s words were extremely shaky as they escaped his lips. “Zayn, I love you”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thankful for those reading.  
> I do have a question that i would be grateful to have answered in the comments section.  
> I am stuck between ending this and making a second book, or, concluding it in one.  
> Obviously, it wouldn't end at this chapter. Probably in the next.  
> Either way, thanks again.  
> Much peace!


	23. Chapter 23

Zayn replayed it over and over in his head as he watched Parker with a blank stare. His eyes felt like they were welling up again. He had wanted to hear that for so long from him, but now, after everything, were his words true, or empty? He couldn’t fight with his eyes anymore, the tears just continue to stream down his cheeks. How was he supposed to react to this? On the one hand, he wanted to grab Parker’s hand and head to the airport on a one way trip to somewhere far away and never come back. On the other, he hated him. He hated him for lying to him and avoiding this, he hated him for stringing him along the way he had, and he hated him for sleeping with Kendall knowing how he felt about Zayn.

“Say something, please” Parker asked, his hands still on either side of Zayn’s tear soaked face.

Zayn took a deep breath and sighed. He wasn’t sure what to do at this point. He was angry and happy at the same time; something he didn’t think was possible. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He looked down, avoiding Parker’s haunting eyes. After what felt like eternity, Zayn finally looked back up. “Parker, why did you do this? Why didn’t you leave Gigi, and worse, why were you still with Kendall if you love me?”

Parker licked his lips, thinking of how he was going to explain himself. He didn’t like to talk about his feelings or go into things. He kept almost everything to himself. “I was scared”.

“Scared of what?” Zayn asked, studying the man’s face.

“Of how I felt for you. And leaving her. I couldn’t”.                

“Where the hell does Kendall come into play?” Zayn asked. He understood Gigi’s place in Parker’s little equation. She was the girlfriend. She made him _appear_ straight. But Kendall?

Parker sighed. “I was trying to get rid of my feelings for you. I thought she’d do the trick. But she didn’t. I still wanted you no matter how many times I took her to bed”.

Zayn shook his head, laughing softly. “You’re ashamed of being with me? With another man?”

Parker stared into Zayn’s eyes. “I just didn’t want to be-“

“A fag? A homo? You’re too macho or something, Parker?” Zayn asked, hurt.

“I thought I was. But I’m not. I want to be with you, Zayn”. Parker said, grabbing Zayn’s hand, rubbing his thumb across.

Zayn looked to the wall, feeling another tear-falling session approaching. What the fuck was he supposed to do? He loved him too, he wanted to be with him, too. But he was so hurt and angry. He got up, retracting his hand from Parker’s, and headed toward the door.

“Zayn, please don’t leave”. Parker rushed behind him.

Zayn shook his head, opening the door without looking back at the man.

“Zayn!” Parker reached for his shoulder, grabbing his shoulder, forcing him to turn around. “Please stay with me”.

Zayn sighed and shook his head. “Liam is a good man. He fucking loves me and isn’t ashamed in doing so”.

Parker looked down at his feet, suddenly interested in them. He felt a lump forming in his throat. “Zayn, I love you. Please, I will do whatever it takes”.

“You would have never left her. And you fucked Kendall while seeing me. However you want to call it, we had something”. Zayn swallowed. “And you lied to me. How could I ever trust you?”

“Zayn, please, give me another chance. I won’t ever lie to you again, I won’t cheat on you. I promise I will love you for as long as you let me. Just please give me another chance”. Parker pleaded, tears escaping his wet eyes.

Zayn looked away, biting his bottom lip, hating how conflicted he felt. He didn’t trust him. At all. He knew that if Gigi never dumped him, Parker wouldn’t leave her. He knew being with Parker was taking a huge risk. But not being with him was also a huge risk. Maybe even bigger.

“Please”, Zayn heard Parker say. “Zayn, I fucking love you. And I fucked up and I’ll make up for it, and I’ll do what it takes to show you. But I can’t do that unless you give me another shot”.

Zayn looked at Parker, his chest feeling terribly heavy, his eyes welling up at Parker’s tears. He had never seen him so vulnerable, so open.

“I don’t want anyone but you, Zayn”. Parker voiced, knowing that this was probably the last chance he had to convince him.

Zayn grabbed Parker on either side of his face, pressing his lips to Parker’s. He felt the other man kiss him back, but before he got too comfortable, Zayn pulled away. He stared into his eyes; Parker’s searching for an answer.

Zayn walked himself out of the doorway, and looked back to Parker, who stared at Zayn, eyes bloodshot and wet. “Hope you enjoyed that, because it’s the last one you’ll be getting from me”.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think an epilogue will be next.  
> Or, a second part of this story.  
> Let me know your thoughts.  
> Thanks for reading.  
> Peace!


	24. Epilogue

Zayn left his mates back at the bar, blowing hot air into his cuffed hands. It was a cold night in Los Angeles, colder than it had been last winter. He could’ve caught a cab and went home, but he was in a familiar area and his mind had been wandering. It had been two months since he had last seen him, and maybe it was the alcohol, but he just wanted to walk by his place.

His phone vibrated loudly in his pocket. He pulled it out, frowning when he realized it wasn’t from who had expected it to be from. Every day, for the past two months, he received a message or a call from him. Zayn never answered him. He couldn’t bring himself to do it. But today, nothing. And it was already two in the morning. He shrugged; guessing today was the day he finally gave up on Zayn.  

His curiosity and longing for him brought him to the parking lot of Parker’s apartment complex. He searched for the red and black Pagani. It was nowhere to be found. His eyes looked everywhere again, but it wasn’t there. That car stuck out like a sore thumb, so he would’ve seen it by now. Maybe Parker had gone out? Maybe he was sleeping around again. Zayn shook his head. He looked up to find the window of the apartment, but no lights were on. He was hoping he’d see the man’s shadowy figure. Zayn swallowed, suddenly a rush of emotions and memories attacking his senses. He _missed_ him so much, it hurt his soul. It was hard to forget everything that had happened between them, and Parker’s consistent attempts to get to Zayn didn’t help the forgetting process either.

Zayn bounced around the idea before executing it. He walked through the well-lit parking lot, scanning for the car again. Nothing. He walked into the lobby, finding himself in the elevator before marking Parker’s floor. He felt nervous as the elevator doors opened and he walked out slowly, the door in his view. He walked closer to it before taking a deep breath. What was he even doing here? At this hour? What would he say to him? Zayn stopped, shaking his head as he began walking away, realizing that this was not a great idea. But something told him to knock on the door. His heart told him. His heart told him that he missed and wanted Parker more than he ever thought possible, even after all the shit Parker had put him through. He wasn’t sure how that could be, but there was no other explanation for his longing, for his desire and for the way his eyes welled up at the thought of the man.

He whirled around and headed back to Parker’s apartment, knocking gently before taking a step back. He could hear mumbling and footsteps, and suddenly there was a knot in his stomach. He swallowed as the door opened slowly, but his heart dropped when a short, bald man was standing between the doorframe and the door.

“Can I help you, guy?” he grumbled, reeking of cigarettes.

Zayn’s eyes looked behind the man, searching for a sign of Parker. “Uh, is Parker around?”

“Who?” the man asked.

Zayn shook his head. “Tall guy, beard, pretty fit”.

“Oh, that guy, Cruz. Uh, yeah, he moved like two days ago”.

“Moved?” Zayn asked. “Where?”

“I’m not sure. If you’re here to get the rest of his shit, his other friends already took care of it”. The bald man rubbed his eyes, looking Zayn over.

“Do you know where he went?” Zayn asked, wide eyed.

“Listen, guy, it’s fucking 2:30 in the morning. All I know was that I just moved here, I needed a decent place, it was vacant, and he sold it fast”. The bald man grumbled and shut the door on Zayn.

Zayn stood there, staring at the door. Where the fuck did he go? He felt like panicking, and his eyes were filled with water. He quickly went down to the parking lot, hailing a cab as he took out his phone, looking through Parker’s text to see if he had missed something. Clearly, he missed everything. He swallowed, closing the door of the cab as it took off toward his own apartment. He pulled up Parker’s contact information, swallowing as his thumb hovered over the call button beside the man’s number.

_Fuck it_.

“Parker?” Zayn asked when he heard the line pick up. He heard so much noise in the silence between them that it hurt.

“Zayn?” Parker finally said, his voice raspy, almost whispering.

“Parker, where’d you go?” Zayn asked, his voice shaky. Parker’s voice seemed so unfamiliar to him now that it stabbed at his heart.

Parker let out a sigh. “I left LA”.

Zayn stared out of the cab window, his mouth open but no words would come out.

“I had to leave, Zayn. You never returned a text or call. I took the hint and I left. I couldn’t be in that city anymore. Everywhere I went or looked, had you written all over it”.

Zayn’s eyes let the tears fall down his cheek. “Where did you go, Parker?” He wanted to kick himself for never returning his calls or replying to his texts. He had refused to give into him again. He didn’t want to be hurt again. But who was Zayn fooling? Every time Zayn lay next to Liam, he pictured Parker, with his crooked smile and his horribly brushed hair. _Fuck_ , Zayn thought. He slammed his hand against the window, causing the driver to look back, to which Zayn mouthed “sorry”.

Parker paused before he answered. “London”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Book 2 will be happening.  
> Thanks again for reading!  
> Peace!

**Author's Note:**

> I own nothing except my original character.  
> Thanks for reading.  
> Peace!


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